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Actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa’s causes of death has been revealed and the medical examiner says the couple died several days apart in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home. She also said that Arakawa actually died first.
Dr. Heather Jarrell, the chief medical investigator for the state of New Mexico, reported on Friday that Betsy Arakawa, 65, died from Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. ABC News reports that hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a “rare disease transmitted through rodent urine, droppings or saliva.” It “initially causes flu-like symptoms that can progress to more severe illness where people have trouble breathing.”
After contracting hantavirus, a person usually feels sick for three to six days. According to Jarrell, “a person can die very quickly, within 24 to 48 hours, roughly speaking, without medical treatment.”
Gene Hackman, 95, passed away as a result of “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributory factor.” There was no food in Hackman’s stomach, but he was not dehydrated at the time of his death.
Jarrell said that, according to the autopsy report, Arakawa passed away before Hackman on February 11 and Hackman died one week later on February 18. She added that it was unlikely that the actor understood that Arakawa had died, due to his advanced Alzheimer’s disease.
“Mr. Hackman showed evidence of advanced Alzheimer’s disease,” she said. “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.”
BREAKING: Gene Hackman's cause of death is "Hypertensive and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease, with Alzheimer's disease as a significant contributory factor." Betsy Hackman died of "Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, the manner of death is natural," chief medical examiner says pic.twitter.com/nhzCEOnlm0
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Gene Hackman’s pacemaker “data revealed cardiac activity on Feb. 17, with subsequent pacemaker interrogation demonstrating an abnormal rhythm of atrial fibrillation on Feb. 18, which was the last record of heart activity,” said Jarrell.