A rare virus that killed actor Gene Hackman’s wife earlier this year in California has killed at least three more individuals. The Mono County Health & Human Services confirmed that a young adult had died from the illness.
Betsy Arakawa, the wife of Hackman, died in February at their home in New Mexico from the Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. The virus spreads through rodents and can be fatal in some cases. It does not spread from person to person.
“The occurrence of three cases in a short period has me worried, especially this early in the year,” Dr. Tom Boo, a county public health officer, said in a statement.
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According to the press release from Mono County Health & Human Services, all three residents began to feel ill in February. In all three cases, “there was some evidence of mice” in their workplaces “but no major infestations were found,” while one had “numerous mice in their home.”
The infection usually starts with flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, chills, body aches, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, and a dry cough. According to the CDC, early treatment is crucial because HPS kills about four out of ten affected individuals.
