Hollywood affected by hantavirus: this celebrity died of the disease a few months ago

After the trauma caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, it is now the hantavirus that concerns the whole world. In total, Eleven passengers of the MV Hondius ship tested positive for the virus, and two of them succumbed to the disease. This Tuesday, May 12, the cruise ship is on its way to the Netherlands after the evacuation of its passengers to the Canary Islands. “Nine of the eleven cases were confirmed as Andes virus.said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the WHO. But if the hantavirus scares people today, it is not new. The disease is involved in a double death in Hollywood that made headlines: actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa.

Which Hollywood personality died after being infected by the hantavirus?

On February 26, the bodies of the 95-year-old actor and the 65-year-old pianist were found lifeless in their property in Santa Fe. Two deaths with mysterious circumstances at first glance. If the first hypotheses suggested a marital drama or a gas leak, the truth lies elsewhere. According to the investigation, the actor’s companion of three decades was the first to die from pulmonary syndrome. A condition caused by many hantaviruses, which she caught through contact with rodents that had infested their house.

According to forensic pathologist Heather Jarre’s report, the infection is developing “after exposure for one to eight weeks to the feces of a particular species of mouse carrying the hantavirus ». Investigators also found nests and excrement in several places on the property.

Gene Hackman, suffering from a form of Alzheimer’s, did not survive long after the disappearance of his wife, who was his main caregiver. He would not have spent his last days alone, without realizing what had happened to the woman who shared his life. On February 17, nine days after the death of his wife, the star’s pacemaker stopped. He then succumbed to hypertensive cardiovascular disease. A tragic ending.

How is the hantavirus mainly transmitted?

The particularity of the hantavirus, which comes from the American continent, is that it is not transmitted between humans but rather by the inhalation of contaminated particles from rodents. It is its very high mortality rate, between 30 and 60%, which especially causes concern. “The strain of the disease circulating in the southwest of the United States can be fatal in 50% of cases“, wrote the pathologist in her report.

In 2024, New Mexico would have only seven cases of hantavirus. In 2025, Betsy Arakawa officially became the state’s first victim of the year, once again demonstrating that contact with rodents is the main threat.