A medical expert has explained how Gene Hackman’s wife Betsy Arakawa could have been saved from the rat disease that took her life.

Autopsies have finally revealed how Hackman and Arakawa died, solving the mystery that hung over them after their corpses were discovered at home last week.

Arakawa, 62, succumbed to a rodent-borne disease called hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) on February 11 – and then lay in their Santa Fe house decomposing as Hackman, 95, suffering from advanced Alzheimer’s, wandered about the luxury property confused and possibly unaware she was even ᴅᴇᴀᴅ.

Hackman himself lost his life to a cardiovascular disease exacerbated by his Alzheimer’s, several days after his wife, with officials noting the last activity on his pacemaker occurred on February 17.

Now Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a professor at USC’s Keck School Of Medicine, has shed light on the virus that caused Arakawa’s death.

HPS kills about one in three of its patients – but Arakawa had a much higher chance of surviving if she had been quickly hospitalized, Klausner told TMZ.

Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Hackman pictured at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on March 21, 1994 at Morton’s Restaurant in West Hollywood, California 

The virus is spread through the inhalation of airborne particles containing the virus, which is typically found in the urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents.

HPS, which initially presents with flu like symptoms, can progress rapidly, leading to breathing problems, low blood pressure, and organ failure.

Read More Gene Hackman’s wife Betsy’s tragic final hours: How 65-year-old spent her last days after catching rat disease that would kill her and leave confused 95-year-old movie star to die alone

The illness is so rare in the US that only one or two people die every year, and there have only been around 1,000 cases in the past three decades, mostly among farmers, hikers and campers and homeless populations. 

Klausner noted that because the disease is so uncommon, and because it often initially looks like the flu, doctors tend to miss it when they see it. 

‘Hantavirus can cause a flu-like illness and often it’s confused by doctors or diagnosed as a flu or flu-like syndrome,’ he shared. 

‘Again, it’s very rare and it’s not something that someone would necessarily be concerned about. It’s often contracted after people have been cleaning an attic or a basement, because they’re coming into contact with the rat or the mice droppings, or rate or mice urine,’ the professor explained. 

‘Unfortunately, there is no treatment for hantavirus so it’s really just early diagnosis and supportive care,’ Klausner chillingly observed. 

‘So if someone was suspected of having hantavirus, or just suspected of having severe pneumonia – I mean it’s really very similar to having a severe pneumonia – if you go to the hospital, you’re gonna be provided with oxygen,’ he added.

Hackman, 95, died from heart disease a week after his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65 (pictured in 2024) succumbed to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome – and police said the Alzheimer’s stricken star may not have known she was ᴅᴇᴀᴅ

‘If you’re not able to breathe on your own, you may be supported with mechanical ventilation in an intensive care unit, and some people who get that early type of intervention can survive and go on to recovery from hantavirus.’

The disease advances its progress in a timeframe of ‘days to a week, to two weeks, so similarly to when someone gets influenza.’

He then turned his attention to Arakawa’s final days, saying: ‘She may have been struggling for many days, and been progressively short of breath, and experienced lightheadedness, dizziness, shortness of breath when she exerted herself and walked around, and for whatever reasons did not pursue additional medical attention.’ 

Authorities are slowly beginning to piece together Arakawa’s movements in the days leading up to her death. 

She collected the couples’ dog Zinna from the vet on February 9, where the canine had undergone an operation, Sheriff Adan Mendoza of Santa Fe County said yesterday. 

That may may shed some light on why the pair’s beloved 12-year-old Australian Kelpie mix was found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in a crate, only a few feet from Arakawa’s body. 

Police confirmed on Friday that Arakawa, 65, succumbed to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) in her bathroom somewhere around February 11.

That day, possibly hours before her death, Arakawa sent an email to her mᴀssage therapist before visiting a grocery store in the afternoon, The New York Times reported.

She was also caught on CCTV visiting a pharmacy where she was wearing a face mask, which friends said she often did to avoid transporting any illnesses to her medically vulnerable, older husband.  

Arakawa also stopped at a local pet food store later the same afternoon before returning to her local area at approximately 5.15 pm, the sheriff said.

Hackman and Arakawa, who were married for more than 30 years, with two unidentified dogs. One of their dogs Zinna was found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ at their home in a crate 

Unforgiven star Hackman may have wandered around the sprawling 9,000 square foot home (pictured), lost and confused, for seven days with the couple’s dogs running loose

She did not respond to any emails after that day, leading police to believe that was the period in which she pᴀssed. 

At some point after returning home, she began to decline rapidly. She eventually headed to the bathroom – her final resting place. 

She was found lying on the floor with her head next to a space heater and thyroid medication pills scattered around her.

Authorities have determined that Arakawa died of a lung infection spread from rats,  in the latest twist in the case.

Medical investigators in New Mexico said in a press conference on Friday that the 65-year-old was infected with hantavirus which caused a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly build-up of fluid in her lungs, known medically as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS).

Specialists believe Arakawa could have picked up the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly rat disease HPS from cleaning the garage in the couple’s mansion 

The couple on the red carpet in happier times, attending the 60th Golden Globes in 2003 in Beverly Hills, California

Read MoreEXCLUSIVE How Gene Hackman’s wife Betsy Arakawa caught rare rodent disease hantavirus that led to her death

Arakawa may have caught the ultra-rare but ᴅᴇᴀᴅly virus from the garage of the couple’s mansion, experts have said. 

DailyMail.com understands that while there was no rodent activity in the main house, there were rodent droppings in the couple’s garage and outhouses.

Specialists told this website Arakawa could have picked HPS up from cleaning those areas.

Hackman and Arakawa’s dog was also found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in the house. Authorities note that while there is evidence that dogs can catch the virus, the animals do not show symptoms and there are no recorded cases of them pᴀssing the virus on to human

Unforgiven star Hackman may have wandered around the sprawling 9000 square foot home, lost and confused, for seven days – without his partner of three decades by his side to feed and care for him, or look after their three treasured dogs,

Left to fend for himself and with his wife’s body decomposing in their bathroom, Hackman, who was already in ‘very poor health’, went without food.

An autopsy showed his stomach was empty at the time of his death.

He was found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ with his cane and sunglᴀsses by his side in a room just off the kitchen following an apparent fall – hinting he may have been on his way out of the home before his weak heart gave in.

Aerial pH๏τos of the couple’s Santa Fe, New Mexico home where they were found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ last week 

Hackman and his wife spent their final years out of the spotlight in Santa Fe, Mexico 

Hackman first adopted a German Shepherd in 1999 (pictured) after the stray dog wandered on the set of The Replacements

His pacemaker’s last recorded activity was on February 18 – but help would not arrive until over a week later.

The reclusive couple’s dogs, who were lovingly cared for by the couple, were also left alone.

Their pet Zinna, who had been picked up by Arakawa from a veterinary hospital on February 9 – two days before her death – was found ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in a a kennel in a bathroom closet about 10 to 15 feet from Arakawa’s partially mummified remains.

Officials believe the animal had been crated due to the recent medical care it had received.

A German Shepherd named Bear and a second dog named Nikita were found running around the 12 acre property – with a dog door allowing them access to food and water.

The dogs were discovered loose when the mummified bodies of Hackman and Arakawa were discovered on February 26 by two maintenance workers.

Dr. Heather Jarrell, Chief Medical Investigator for the state of New Mexico, said their deaths had both been ruled as natural, and that no signs of internal or external trauma were found.

This followed days of intense speculation around the seemingly mysterious deaths.

Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa developed a love for German Shepherds that saw the couple adopt at least three dogs over the years 

In an update issued on Friday, the cause of death for the couple was revealed 

Chief Medical Investigator Heather Jarrell confirmed Hackman was in a ‘very poor state of health’ prior to the events that led to his death. 

‘He was in a very poor state of health. He had significant heart disease, and I think ultimately that’s what resulted in his death.’

Officials had also said that there was no trace of carbon monoxide in the bodies of the couple.

Hackman’s daughter Elizabeth had earlier floated a theory that the couple had died from carbon monoxide poisoning, which authorities officially quashed last week.

She told TMZ that the family believed their deaths came about after inhaling the toxic fumes.

Hackman was a five-time Oscar nominee who won for The French Connection in 1972 and Unforgiven two decades later.

Hackman met Arakawa, a classically trained pianist who grew up in Hawaii, when she was working part-time at a California gym in the mid-1980s.

They soon moved in together, and by the end of the decade had decamped to Santa Fe.

Hackman starred in the 2001 Wes Anderson film The Royal Tenenbaums and was pictured at the premiere 

A picture of Gene Hackman was displayed during an in memoriam presentation at the Oscars show at the 97th Academy Awards in Hollywood on Sunday evening 

Santa Fe County deputies were seen outside of Betsy and Gene’s home in Santa Fe last week after their bodies were discovered

A naturally private man, Hackman was labelled a recluse as he remained out of the public eye for years on end following his retirement from the movie industry. He retired from acting in 2004.

Friends occasionally shared glimpses of his post-acting life, including social media sH๏τs of fishing expeditions – while paying tribute to his silver screen triumphs. He would also occasionally be spotted pedaling around Santa Fe on a bicycle.

The couple´s stucco, Pueblo-revival style home sits on a hill in a gated community at the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains. Santa Fe is known as a refuge for celebrities, artists and authors.

Hackman dedicated much of his time in retirement to painting and writing novels far from Hollywood´s social circuit.

He served for several years on the board of trustees at the Georgia O´Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, and he and his wife were investors in local businesses.