Health
What Is Hantavirus, the Disease That Killed Gene Hackman’s Wife?
Betsy Arakawa, the wife of Gene Hackman, died from the effects of hantavirus, a rare disease often caused by contact with droppings from infected rodents.
Hantavirus does not spread among people in the cases found in the United States. It can be transmitted through rodent saliva. But it is most commonly transmitted by breathing in particles of dried deer mouse droppings or urine.
At first, hantavirus causes flulike symptoms, including fever, chills, body aches and headaches. But as the disease progresses, respiratory symptoms develop and patients can experience shortness of breath and then lung or heart failure.
Here is what to know about hantavirus.
What is hantavirus?
Hantavirus refers to a family of viruses that are carried by rodents. It is often transmitted to humans by inhaling particles from dried mouse droppings. In North America, Sin Nombre virus is the most common form of this virus, said Sabra L. Klein, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
As of the end of 2022, 864 cases of hantavirus disease had been reported in the United States since surveys of such cases began in 1993, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The “classic” case of hantavirus is contracted by someone who has visited a rural cabin that has a rodent infestation, said Emily Abdoler, a doctor and assistant professor of medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School.
Hantavirus has flulike symptoms at first.
Hantavirus can cause flulike symptoms that appear one to eight weeks after exposure to droppings from an infected rodent, according to Dr. Heather Jarrell, New Mexico’s chief medical examiner. Later, patients often experience shortness of breath and then lung or heart failure.
The mortality rate from the hantavirus strain in the southwestern United States is between 38 and 50 percent, Dr. Jarrell said. The strain in the region cannot be transmitted from person to person, she said.
New Mexico is no stranger to hantavirus.
In the United States, hantavirus is most commonly found in the Four Corners region — Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico — according to Dr. Abdoler.
New Mexico has recorded from one to seven hantavirus infections each year for the past five years, according to Dr. Erin Phipps, a veterinarian at the New Mexico Department of Health.
Most people get infected around their home or workplace, she said. On the property east of Santa Fe where Mr. Hackman and Ms. Arakawa lived, health officials found signs of rodent entry in some structures, although little risk of exposure to the virus in the main residence.
It is not clear when Ms. Arakawa began to feel ill, Dr. Jarrell said.
How do I prevent hantavirus?
Although there are antivirals that can help manage symptoms, there are no cures specifically for hantavirus, Ms. Klein of Johns Hopkins said. That’s why prevention is important.
If you live in an area where hantavirus-infected rodents are known to roam, clean any droppings with a wet paper towel. Do not use a vacuum or a broom, which can stir up the aerosols from the excrement.
Use gloves and a tightfitting N95 mask in a well-ventilated space. People should spray the area with a bleach solution or a commercial disinfectant and let it sit for five minutes. Then they should clean the area with paper towels, tossing them in a trash can that closes tightly, Dr. Phipps said.
Treatment of hantavirus in the intensive care unit may include intubation and oxygen therapy, fluid replacement and medications to support blood pressure. Sometimes antiviral drugs are used.
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HHS Secretary Kennedy backs off Tylenol-autism claim
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel says ‘less is more’ in terms of medicine for pregnant women and stresses how crucial it is to consult your obstetrician before making medical decisions on ‘Fox Report.’
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its website with a new stance on the potential link between vaccines and autism.
The new wording on the CDC’s site states, “The claim ‘vaccines do not cause autism’ is not an evidence-based claim because studies have not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccines cause autism.
“Studies supporting a link have been ignored by health authorities.”
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The agency noted that the statement “vaccines do not cause autism” has been “historically disseminated” by the CDC and other federal health agencies in an effort to prevent vaccine hesitancy.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has updated its website with a new stance on the potential link between vaccines and autism. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy, File)
Previously, the CDC page stated, “Studies have shown that there is no link between receiving vaccines and developing autism spectrum disorder (ASD).”
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a “comprehensive assessment” of potential causes of autism, the CDC stated.
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Those include investigations on “plausible biologic mechanisms and potential causal links.”
The header “Vaccines do not cause autism” remains on the page but is followed by an asterisk indicating that it was not removed because of a prior agreement rather than because the evidence supports it.
The agency noted that the statement “vaccines do not cause autism” has been “historically disseminated” by the CDC and other federal health agencies in an effort to prevent vaccine hesitancy. (iStock)
The Children’s Health Defense applauded the CDC’s updated web page.
“Finally, the CDC is beginning to acknowledge the truth about this condition that affects millions, disavowing the bold, long-running lie that ‘vaccines do not cause autism,’” Mary Holland, president and CEO of Children’s Health Defense in New Jersey, told Fox News Digital.
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“No studies have ever proved this irresponsible claim; on the contrary, many studies point to vaccines as the plausible primary cause of autism. Thankfully, HHS has now launched a comprehensive assessment on the causes of autism, including an investigation of plausible biological mechanisms.”
Other medical organizations have spoken out against the possibility of vaccines contributing to autism. (iStock)
Other medical organizations have spoken out against the possibility of vaccines contributing to autism.
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“Studies have repeatedly found no credible link between life-saving childhood vaccines and autism,” The American Academy of Pediatrics states on its website.
“Scientists are learning more about potential causes of autism all the time. One thing we know with certainty is that vaccines are not one of the causes. There is no single, root cause of autism.”
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The latest CDC data show that for children aged 8 years (born in 2014), about one in 31 (3.2%) were identified with autism spectrum disorder. In 2000, about one in 150 (0.67%) children were diagnosed.
Fox News Digital reached out to physicians and to the HHS requesting comment.
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