New details emerged about how Gene Hackman and his wife died after their bodies were found at their New Mexico home last month. Officials said Hackman died from heart disease a week after his wife died of Hantavirus.
The rare and potentially deadly virus is found in rodents and has a high mortality rate. People can get infected from rodent droppings or other scenarios like camping.
According to the CDC, between 1993 and 2022, there have been more than 860 confirmed cases in the U.S.
"Here in California, we got to learn a lot about hantavirus," said infectious disease specialist Dr. Peter Chin-Hong
Chin-Hong said he recalls the hantavirus outbreak in Yosemite in 2012 when 10 campers got sick, and three died.
"It was an enclosed tent with a lot of rodent droppings," he said.
Chin-Hong said he recommends when people camp that they clear the brush so that rodents don't nest there.
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"say you’re camping, there’s a lot of soil, you can ingest or inhale these dust particles that contain the virus which is in the feces of rodents and you can get very sick," Chin-Hong said.
He added that after exposure, one can get flu-like symptoms but rapidly profess difficulty breathing. There's no specific treatment, only supportive care like ECMO, he said.
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"We don't see it very often, but u have to always suspect it because early support is essential," Chin-Hong said.
