Dead rodents and their nests were scattered across eight detached outbuildings on Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa’s property in Santa Fe, New Mexico … a health report obtained by TMZ reveals.
The New Mexico Department of Public Health conducted an environmental assessment back in March, one week after Gene Hackman was found dead in the same house as his wife Betsy, who died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), caused by hantavirus.
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The deadly disease spreads through rat and mouse urine and droppings, often picked up when someone’s cleaning out attics or basements.
In Hackman and Betsy’s case, rodent feces were found in three garages, two casitas, and three sheds on their property. A live rodent, a dead rodent, and a rodent nest were found in the three detached garages.
Two vehicles on the property were also found with signs of rodents — nests, droppings, and sightings of the pests. Investigators even discovered live traps set up in the outbuildings, suggesting the infestation had been ongoing.
The New Mexico Department of Health did a risk assessment on March 5 to make sure first responders and family members who’d been on the property were safe. Luckily, they found the primary residence to be low-risk, with no signs of rodent activity inside.
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Since Betsy’s death, the rare hantavirus has sparked fear, with three more victims recently succumbing to the disease in the northern California town of Mammoth Lakes.
Betsy called a medical concierge service on February 12, just a day before officials confirmed her death. Gene passed away around February 17 or 18, due to heart disease and advanced Alzheimer’s disease — unrelated to hantavirus.
