Ms. Arakawa, the wife of the actor Gene Hackman, died from the effects of a disease often caused by contact with droppings from infected rodents.

Weeks after two-time Oscar winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife were found dead in mysterious circumstances, it has been revealed that the latter died from a rare serious viral disease called Hantavirus.

Betsy Arakawa — the classical pianist married to Gene Hackman — died last month of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare infectious disease linked to rodents, New Mexico authorities announced Friday.