LONDON, March 8 — United States (US) actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a week after his wife Betsy Arakawa died of a rare infectious disease at their home, a pathologist has said, according to PA Media/dpa.
Two-time Oscar winner Hackman, 95, was likely at home alone with the body of his wife for a week before he passed away himself, said the sheriff of Santa Fe in New Mexico during a press conference on Friday.
The post-mortem examination showed Arakawa, also known as Betsy Hackman, 65, died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome — a rare but potentially fatal disease which spreads to humans through infected rodent droppings or saliva.
New Mexico Chief Medical Examiner Heather Jarrell said that it was "reasonable to conclude" that Arakawa died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome on February 11 at the couple's home in Santa Fe.
Hackman died a week later, on February 18, of "hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributory factor".
The pair were found dead, along with one of their dogs, at their home in Santa Fe on February 26.
Asked whether this meant the actor had been at home with his dead wife for seven days until he passed away himself, Santa Fe County sheriff Adan Mendoza replied: "Yes, I would assume that that is the case."
Jarrell said: "Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer’s disease. He was in a very poor state of health.
"He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that is what resulted in his death," he said.
Hackman's body was found in a mud room, and his wife was found lying on the floor in a bathroom, detectives previously said.
On Friday, Mendoza said that Arakawa picked up their dog Xena, who was later found dead along with the couple, from the veterinary hospital on February 9.
"There was a procedure that was done with the dog, which may explain why the dog was in a crate at the residence," he told the press conference.
Arakawa’s car was seen on CCTV footage at 4.54pm on February 11, and the remote control clicker that is assigned to her and her vehicle was used to enter the subdivision to gain access to the gated community.
Mendoza said: "At 5.15pm, numerous emails were unopened on her computer on February 11.
"There was no additional outgoing communication from her or known activity after February 11," he said.
Tests on Hackman’s pacemaker previously showed that he was alive on February 17 when a "last event" was recorded, nine days before his body and his wife’s were discovered.
Jarrell told the press conference: "Mr Hackman’s initial pacemaker data revealed cardiac activity on February 17, with subsequent pacemaker interrogation demonstrating an abnormal rhythm of atrial fibrillation on February 18, which was the last record of heart activity.
"Based on this information, it is reasonable to conclude that Mr Hackman probably died around February 18.
"Based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that Mrs Hackman passed away first, with February 11 being the last time that she was known to be alive.
"Lastly, clinically, hantavirus infection is characterised by flu-like symptoms consisting of fever, muscle aches, cough, and sometimes vomiting that can progress to shortness of breath and cardiac or heart failure and lung failure," he said.
Hantaviruses are transmitted to humans through the infected urine, droppings, or saliva of certain species of mice and rats.
The mortality of the hantavirus strain in the south west of the United States is about 38 per cent to 50 per cent, and is not transmissible from person to person.
— Bernama
