California hotel worker dies from the same rare rodent disease that killed Gene Hackman's wife

A 26 year old man, who worked in a hotel in California has died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome complication, the same disease that killed Betsy Arakawa, wife of Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman . He was found dead in his home on March 6.


The death of the young worker comes days after the death of Gene Hackman and his wife. According to medical investigators, Arakawa had died due to the Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome. She had died a week before her husband.

According to DailyMail, the hotel worker, who was also a ski enthusiast, "felt sick for about two weeks, even going to the hospital to get antibiotics the night before he died."


What is hantavirus?

Hantavirus was first recognized in the early 1990s in the United States, though it had been causing illness in other parts of the world much earlier. The particular strain that tends to cause severe illness in North and South America is known as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS), while different strains in Europe and Asia can lead to Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome (HFRS).


It is a rare but potentially deadly virus that humans can contract through contact with infected rodents, specifically their urine, droppings, or saliva.


Hantavirus infection can escalate quickly

In the case of HPS, the symptoms can start off feeling very flu-like — fever, fatigue, muscle aches — especially in large muscle groups like the thighs, hips, and back. Some people also report headaches, dizziness, chills, nausea, or abdominal pain. What makes hantavirus particularly dangerous is how quickly it can escalate. Within a few days, patients can experience coughing and shortness of breath as the lungs fill with fluid. Without rapid medical treatment, this stage can become fatal. The mortality rate for HPS is alarmingly high, hovering around 38%, mainly because the virus moves fast and can overwhelm the body before help arrives.


The virus is carried primarily by wild rodents. These animals don’t get sick themselves but can shed the virus in their droppings, urine, and saliva. Humans typically get infected when they breathe in tiny particles containing the virus — something that can happen when cleaning out old sheds, cabins, or barns that have been left untouched for a long time.


Disturbing rodent nests or sweeping up droppings without proper protection is a major risk factor. That’s why health experts strongly advise wearing gloves and masks, and wetting down areas with disinfectant before cleaning, to reduce the chance of inhaling infected dust.