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Authorities announced Friday that Jean Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, has died of the Hantavirus. It ended speculation about the circumstances surrounding her death, raising new questions about the rare rodent spread disease.
Arakawa said at a press conference by Dr. Heather Jarrell, chief medical inspector at the New Mexico office of Medical Researchers, died of Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a disease that attacks the respiratory and cardiovascular system.
This condition is rare, but fatal. She said mortality rates range from 38% to 50% among people infected in the US Southwest.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the hantavirus is a family of viruses that are spread by rodent feces, saliva and urine. Most hantaviruses found in the US can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
People can develop syndrome by breathing in air when cleaning rodents. They also spread by touching a contaminated object and then touching its nose or mouth, being bitten or injured by infected rodents, or eating food contaminated with the hantavirus.
Erin Phipps, a public health veterinarian in New Mexico, said Arakawa and Hackman’s homes had a “low risk” of exposure to the hantavirus, but said there were signs of rodents in other structures on the property. She said New Mexico has confirmed 1-7 Hantavirus cases each year in the last five years.
According to the CDC, deer mice are the most common vectors for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in the United States.
People usually start to experience symptoms 1-8 weeks after exposure. Early symptoms include fatigue, fever and muscle pain, and according to the CDC, when the lungs begin to fill with fluid, they can progress to vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath, and chest tension.
According to the CDC, there is no specific treatment for the virus, but patients are supported by rest, hydration and other treatments to manage their symptoms. In more serious cases, intubation may be required. Breathing is supported.
According to the CDC, sealing off areas of the home where rodents can enter, and using traps can minimize the risk of exposure.
Arakawa, 65, ran errands on February 11th, but there are no records of his activities since. Health officials made her believe it was when she died. Hackman, 95, died of heart disease probably a few days later, as his pacemaker last showed active on February 18th.
The couple’s bodies were found on February 26th at their home in Santa Fe, New Mexico. One of their three dogs was also found dead.
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