Health
What is hantavirus, the cause of Gene Hackman’s wife’s death?
The causes of death have been revealed for actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa Hackman, 65.
Hackman was found to have atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease along with advanced Alzheimer’s disease, while his wife likely passed away first from “hantavirus pulmonary syndrome” (HPS), according to New Mexico authorities.
Hantaviruses include a group of viruses primarily carried by rodents that can cause severe respiratory or renal diseases in humans, according to Dr. Rhys Parry, a molecular virologist at the University of Queensland in Australia.
GENE HACKMAN DEATH TIMELINE: ACTOR’S FINAL DAYS WITH WIFE
Most hantaviruses that are found in North, Central and South America can cause HPS, the condition that Hackman’s wife was found to have, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“The hantaviruses that are found throughout the United States are not known to spread between people,” the CDC stated.
Causes of death have been revealed for actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa Hackman, 65. (Getty Images)
HPS has a nearly 40% fatality rate in those who are infected, according to the above source.
How hantavirus spreads
“Hantaviruses typically spread when humans breathe in virus particles from disturbed rodent urine, droppings or nesting materials,” Parry told Fox News Digital.
DEADLY VIRUS SAMPLES WENT MISSING FROM LAB IN ‘MAJOR BIOSECURITY BREACH,’ SAY AUTHORITIES
The CDC lists the following potential mechanisms of spread:
- Breathing in contaminated air when cleaning up after rodents
- Touching contaminated objects and then touching the nose or mouth
- Getting bitten or scratched by an infected rodent
- Eating food contaminated with the virus
Hackman was found to have atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease along with advanced Alzheimer’s disease, while his wife likely passed away first from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. (Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
Dr. Marc Siegel, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Health and Fox News senior medical analyst, agreed that hantavirus can spread via dust from rodents’ saliva, urine and places they touch.
The most common type of rodent to carry it in the U.S. is the deer mouse, the doctor noted.
Early symptoms of hantavirus include fever, muscle aches, fatigue and gastrointestinal issues.
Most hantavirus cases are seen in rural areas, where it is more likely for rodents to get into homes or barns, the CDC noted.
Hantavirus infections are “incredibly rare,” both experts agreed.
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
“This is a pretty sad set of circumstances,” Parry noted. “I’m honestly impressed they were able to determine it was HPS after the fact.”
Siegel added that it rarely affects humans “because only some of the rodents have it, and they don’t all come into contact — but one-third to one-half of cases are fatal.”
Symptoms and treatment
Early symptoms of hantavirus include fever, muscle aches, fatigue and gastrointestinal issues that appear anywhere from one to eight weeks after exposure, according to Parry.
“These progress to serious respiratory symptoms like coughing, shortness of breath and fluid in the lungs four to 10 days later,” he said.
Hantaviruses include a group of viruses primarily carried by rodents that can cause severe respiratory or renal diseases in humans. (iStock)
Sin Nombre virus is the most common hantavirus in the United States, which causes hantavirus pulmonary syndrome with a mortality rate of approximately 38%.
“It typically becomes fatal when the lungs fill with fluid, leading to respiratory failure and insufficient oxygen reaching vital organs,” Parry noted.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
There’s no specific antiviral treatment for hantavirus, the expert said, although early intensive care with oxygen therapy and supportive measures is crucial.
“Early intensive medical care is critical because patients who have sudden acute disease can rapidly become severely sick and die,” the CDC states.
Hantaviruses can cause severe illnesses, hemorrhagic fever, renal disease or hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. (iStock)
“If a patient is experiencing full distress, it is less likely the treatment will be effective.”
Supportive care can include monitoring heart function, administering fluids and oxygen, and placing the patient on a ventilator as needed.
Patients may receive broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, fever reducers and pain relievers.
“Prevention focuses on rodent control, proper cleaning of infested areas with protective equipment and avoiding exposure to rodent habitats,” Parry added.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
As colorectal cancer (CRC) is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50, a new report reveals some surprising shifts in the incidence of the disease.
Although rates of CRC have been declining among seniors, those 65 and under are facing a rise in diagnoses, according to a report titled Colorectal Cancer Statistics, 2026, from the American Cancer Society.
Adults 65 and younger comprise nearly half (45%) of all new colorectal cancer cases — a significant increase from 27% in 1995, states the report, which was published in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
The disease is rising fastest among adults 20 to 49 years old, at a rate of 3% per year.
Colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in adults under 50. (iStock)
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. Although that age group is eligible to receive routine screenings, just 37% do so.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER
The report also revealed that rectal cancer is on the rise, now accounting for about one-third (32%) of all CRC cases — an increase from 27% in the mid-2000s.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES
“After decades of progress, the risk of dying from colorectal cancer is climbing in younger generations of men and women, confirming a real uptick in disease because of something we’re doing or some other exposure,” said Rebecca Siegel, senior scientific director, surveillance research at the American Cancer Society and lead author of the report, in a press release.
Among adults 50 and under, 75% of colorectal cancers are diagnosed at an advanced stage. Half of the diagnoses in that age range are made between the ages of 45 and 49. (iStock)
“We need to redouble research efforts to understand the cause, but also circumvent deaths through earlier detection by educating clinicians and the general public about symptoms and increasing screening in people 45-54 years.”
It is projected that 158,850 new cases of colorectal cancer will be diagnosed this year, and that the disease will cause 55,230 deaths, per the report.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
More than half of CRC cases can be linked to high-risk behaviors, the researchers said. Those include lack of nutrition, high alcohol consumption, smoking, lack of exercise and obesity.
“These findings further underscore that colorectal cancer is worsening among younger generations and highlight the immediate need for eligible adults to begin screening at the recommended age of 45,” said Dr. William Dahut, chief scientific officer at the American Cancer Society.
When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%. (iStock)
“The report also shines a light on the crucial importance of continued funding for research to help discover new therapies to treat the disease and advance patient care.”
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
When the disease is caught at a local (early) stage, the five-year survival rate is 95%, the report stated.
Related Article
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A new study suggests that middle-aged men may be more vulnerable to faster biological aging, potentially linked to exposure to “forever chemicals.”
The research, published in the journal Frontiers in Aging, examined how perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, more commonly known as PFAS, could impact aging at the cellular level.
PFAS are synthetic chemicals commonly used in nonstick cookware, food packaging, water-resistant fabrics and other consumer products, the study noted.
Their chemical structure makes them highly resistant to breaking down, allowing them to accumulate in water, soil and the human body.
Chinese researchers analyzed blood samples from 326 adults enrolled in the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 1999 and 2000.
A new study suggests that middle-aged men could face accelerated biological aging at the cellular level due to exposure to PFAS. (iStock)
The researchers measured levels of 11 PFAS compounds in participants’ blood and used DNA-based “epigenetic clocks” — tools that analyze chemical changes to DNA to estimate biological age — to determine how quickly their bodies were aging at the cellular level, the study stated.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Two compounds, perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanesulfonamide (PFOSA), were detected in 95% of participants.
Higher concentrations of those chemicals were associated with faster biological aging in men of certain age groups, but not in women.
“People should not panic.”
The compounds most strongly linked to accelerated aging were not the PFAS chemicals that typically receive the most public attention, the researchers noted.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“The associations were strongest in adults aged 50 to 64, particularly in men,” Dr. Xiangwei Li, professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and the study’s corresponding author, told Fox News Digital.
“While this does not establish that PFAS cause aging, it suggests that these widely present ‘forever chemicals’ may be linked to molecular changes related to long-term health and aging.”
The study found that two of the compounds were detected in 95% of participants, and higher levels were linked to faster biological aging in men ages 50–64. (iStock)
Midlife may represent a more sensitive biological period, when the body becomes more vulnerable to age-related stressors, according to the researchers.
Lifestyle factors, such as smoking, may influence biological aging markers, potentially increasing vulnerability to environmental pollutants.
While Li said “people should not panic,” she does recommend looking for reasonable ways to reduce exposure.
That might mean checking local drinking water reports, using certified water filters designed to reduce PFAS, and limiting the use of stain- or grease-resistant products when alternatives are available.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES
Meaningful reductions in PFAS exposure will likely depend on broader regulatory action and environmental cleanup efforts, Li added.
The researchers noted that midlife could be a particularly sensitive stage, when the body is more susceptible to stressors associated with aging. (iStock)
Study limitations
The researchers outlined several important limitations of the research, including that the findings show an association, but do not prove that PFAS directly causes accelerated aging.
“The study is cross-sectional, meaning exposure and aging markers were measured at the same time, so we cannot determine causality,” Li told Fox News Digital.
The study was also relatively small, limited to 326 adults age 50 or older, which means the findings may not apply to younger people or broader populations.
TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ
Researchers measured PFAS levels using data collected between 1999 and 2000, and today’s exposure patterns may differ.
Li added that while PFAS is known to persist in the environment and the body, these results should be validated through larger, more recent studies that follow participants over time.
Related Article
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.
Use escape to exit the menu.
Sign Up
Create a free account to access exclusive content, play games, solve puzzles, test your pop-culture knowledge and receive special offers.
Already have an account? Login
Gas prices on Mississippi Gulf Coast jump nearly 60 cents in one day
Fact Finders: Can tow trucks run red lights in Missouri?
Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for March 4, 2026
Daniel Kaelin Talks Return to Nebraska, Ego-less QB Room, and Wideouts Making Plays
California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to Nevada Democrats in Las Vegas
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Indiana Members Credit Union announced as new anchor tenant at Bottleworks District
DHS defends McLaughlin against allegations husband’s company profited millions from ad contracts: ‘Baseless’
Sánchez defies Trump in political gamble as Madrid say no to war
Satellite images show Iran school strike hit more buildings than earlier reported
US submarine sinks Iranian warship by torpedo in a first since World War II
Which oil and gas facilities in the Gulf have been attacked?
-
World1 week agoExclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
-
Massachusetts1 week agoMother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
-
Wisconsin3 days agoSetting sail on iceboats across a frozen lake in Wisconsin
-
Maryland4 days agoAM showers Sunday in Maryland
-
Denver, CO1 week ago10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
-
Florida4 days agoFlorida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
-
Oregon6 days ago2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling
-
Massachusetts2 days agoMassachusetts man awaits word from family in Iran after attacks