Hantavirus can be spread by rodents, especially deer mice, and is contracted by breathing in dust contaminated with rodent urine or droppings – these are the symptoms to look out for
It has been announced that Gene Hackman’s wife Betsy died from the flu-like hantavirus a week before the Hollywood icon also passed away.
Officials held a press conference during which it was revealed that Gene likely passed away around February 18, after his wife Betsy Arakaway is thought to have succumbed to the rare disease on February 11.
The couple were discovered in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home on February 26, along with their dog. The New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator confirmed that Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
Hackman, who was suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s disease, died from a heart condition. It is probable that he was unaware of his wife’s passing.
Dr Heather Jarrell claims it is unclear whether he was able to survive on his own without her help as he “showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer’s disease”.
She added she was “not aware of his normal daily functioning capability”.
The US-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that the hantavirus is a group of viruses that can lead to severe illness and even death.
They say: “Hantaviruses are a family of viruses which can cause serious illnesses and death. These viruses cause diseases like hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). They are spread mainly by rodents and are not spread from person-to-person.”
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is what Betsy Hackman died of, officials said and according to the CDC, symptoms can include:
- fatigue
- fever
- muscle aches, especially in the large muscle groups like the thighs, hips, back, and sometimes shoulders
- headaches
- dizziness
- chills
- abdominal problems, like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain
The later symptons of HPS include coughing and shortness of breath. Patients might experience tightness in the chest, as the lungs fill with fluid.
The CDC added: “HPS can be deadly. Thirty-eight percent of people who develop respiratory symptoms may die from the disease.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
