Three people in the rural town of Mammoth Lakes, California, have died from the same rare virus that also claimed the life of Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, raising concerns among health officials.
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Arakawa, a classical pianist, died in February from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome at the couple’s home in New Mexico. Her tragic death brought this rare disease into the national spotlight.
Among the three individuals who have died from the virus in Mammoth Lakes, health officials (per CBS News) revealed that one had a home infested with mice, while no such evidence was found in the residences of the other two. In the most recent case, officials remain uncertain about where the individual contracted the virus. However, they noted the presence of mice at the person’s workplace, which is not uncommon during this time of year.
“The occurrence of three cases in a short period has me worried, especially this early in the year,” Dr. Tom Boo, the public health officer in Mono County explained, via CBS News.
The Death of Betsy Arakawa Raised Awareness of the Deadly Virus
Authorities investigated the tragic death of the celebrity couple for two weeks before confirming that 65-year-old Arakawa died from the virus. Hackman, 95, passed away from heart disease, with Alzheimer’s as a contributing factor, just days after his wife.
Hantavirus spreads through contact with the feces, urine, or saliva of infected mice, usually by breathing in contaminated air particles. It cannot spread from person to person.
Mono County Public Health officials reported that one of the other two cases was likely caused by the victim vacuuming rodent waste. Meanwhile, the other individual was probably exposed at home during a known rodent infestation.
However, the latest case showed no evidence of mouse infection, further deepening the mystery surrounding this elusive disease. Dr. Boo also noted the third victim was a “young adult.”
“We don’t have a clear sense of where this young adult may have contracted the virus,” Dr. Boo admitted.
California reports an average of two to three hantavirus cases annually, according to health officials. Last year, the virus claimed the life of one individual in Sierra County.
Infections typically emerge in late spring or summer, which makes the occurrence of these three cases so early in the year “strikingly unusual,” according to Mono County Public Health.