Authorities say hantavirus is blamed in the death of Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa. The rare virus is spread by contact with rodents or their urine or feces.

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.

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.