“Fatal Virus Connected to Hollywood Tragedy Strikes California”
Officials in California have reported three fatalities from hantavirus, the same virus linked to the passing of Betsy Arakawa, wife of Gene Hackman, in February. The deaths occurred in Mammoth Lakes, California, where 27 cases have been documented since 1993, according to Mono County public health officials. Despite hantavirus cases typically emerging later in the year, all three individuals fell ill in February, as stated by officials.
“The occurrence of three cases in a short span concerns me, particularly this early in the year,” remarked Tom Boo, a public health officer for the county. Hantaviruses can result in severe lung issues and death, transmitted by rodents through their droppings, urine, and saliva, without human-to-human spread.
Symptoms of the potentially fatal Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome can manifest one to eight weeks post contact with an infected rodent, as detailed by the CDC. An autopsy on Arakawa, 65, revealed signs of hantavirus infection and findings consistent with Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, as stated by Dr. Heather Jarrell, chief medical examiner at New Mexico’s Office of the Medical Investigator.
While the disease is more common in Southwest states like New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and California, deer mice prevalent in the Eastern Sierra region escalate the exposure risk, Boo explained. None of the deceased in Mammoth Lakes engaged in activities typically associated with exposure, such as cleaning inadequately ventilated spaces with mouse droppings.
Although some evidence of mice was found in their workplaces, there were no significant infestations. Boo advised residents to stay alert, emphasizing the importance of caution around mice and their waste, as many encounter deer mice daily, carrying a certain risk.
This article was first published on USA TODAY: Virus linked to death of Gene Hackman’s wife kills 3 in California.
