Betsy Arakawa, the wife of American actor Gene Hackman, passed away in February due to hantavirus. The deaths of three more individuals in Mammoth Lakes, California from the same virus has officials worried. The cause of death of Betsy Arakawa in her New Mexico home was confirmed to be hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Health authorities in California revealed that three more people have died from hantavirus this week.
Dr. Tom Boo expressed concern, stating, “Finding three cases in a short period worries me.” Hantavirus is an RNA virus that can be transmitted to humans through infected rodents, leading to serious health issues.
The virus can be transmitted to humans through the droppings, urine, or saliva of infected rodents. The risk is higher in environments contaminated with their waste, especially when cleaning or in direct contact. Human-to-human transmission is rare. Authorities mentioned that one case was due to the victim sweeping rodent waste, while the other could have been exposed to the virus during an invasion at home. However, the lack of any evidence of a mouse infection in the latest case has raised questions about the disease. Symptoms of hantavirus infection vary depending on the type. Early signs include fatigue, fever, muscle and headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting. More serious symptoms like shortness of breath and lung edema can appear 4 to 10 days later. Currently, there is no specific treatment or vaccine for hantavirus, but early diagnosis can positively impact the course of the disease.
Preventing the disease involves blocking rodents from entering homes and workplaces, storing food in sealed containers, and being careful when cleaning areas with rodent droppings and urine.