Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome Claims Life of Gene Hackman's Wife 😢 Betsy Arakawa, wife of the Academy Award-winning actor Gene Hackman, tragically succumbed to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome last month at their New Mexico home. Hantavirus, a rare and severe lung disease, primarily spreads through contact with infected rodents, especially deer mice in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) emphasizes the risk of exposure to rodent urine, droppings, and saliva, which can lead to this deadly infection. The disease is notorious for its grim statistics, with 834 cases reported in the US between 1993 and 2022, and a high mortality rate of about 41% in New Mexico, the state with the most reported cases. The virus named Sin Nombre is the predominant strain in the Southwestern US. Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, underscores the importance of avoiding contact with rodents and being ca...
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