<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Public Health records obtained by CNN revealed findings of dead rodents and rodent nests throughout eight detached outbuildings on late actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa's property.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The homesite environmental assessment of the sprawling property in New Mexico was conducted last month, one week after the Hackman and his wife were discovered dead in their home in February.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare disease that humans can contract from contact with rodents, rodent faeces, saliva and urine, according to the New Mexico medical investigator's office. She was 65.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/katy-perry-space-blue-origin-rocket-blasts-off-on-allfemale-space-tourism-flight/3aad6462-7729-41b9-b1ab-d44e30a6fae4" target="_blank" title="Katy Perry blasts off on all-women spaceflight on Blue Origin rocket"><strong><span>Katy Perry blasts off on all-women spaceflight on Blue Origin rocket</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>According to the report, rodent faeces were found in three garages, two casitas and three sheds. A live rodent, a dead rodent and a rodent nest were found in the three detached garages.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The New Mexico Department of health staff conducted the risk assessment on March 5 as part of the death investigation of Hackman and Arakawa to ensure the safety of first responders and family members who had access to the property.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The risk of exposure in the primary residence was low, according to New Mexico State Public Health Veterinarian Erin Phipps. The report said it showed no signs of rodent activity and was clean.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/gene-hackman-property-had-dead-rodents-in-outbuildings/b3191422-e765-4236-a35b-190908645229" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The other eight buildings on the property were accessible to rodents, the report stated. In two vehicles on the property (listed as a working or abandoned vehicle or farm equipment), there were also sightings of rodents, a nest and faeces. Investigators also found live traps in the outbuildings.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hantavirus is a rare but serious disease that has resulted in fatalities for 41 per cent of patients in New Mexico. The south-western US state has had the most reported cases of hantavirus in the country.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/brisbane-man-robert-john-crawford-manipulated-lawnmower-death-scene-court-told/623b2a4d-82fd-47be-adb7-345106b62903"><strong><span>Pilot 'manipulated' wife's lawnmower death scene, judge told</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2025/02/27/19/45/gene-hackman-life-in-pictures-oscar-winning-actor-found-dead-with-wife-betsy-arakawa"><img alt="" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/iTIu_OJGweBKkxhKjJv_B5ifGtg=/0x0:2000x1125/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fb5215593-4fb5-4680-8710-16d5935320b2" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/iTIu_OJGweBKkxhKjJv_B5ifGtg=/0x0:2000x1125/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fb5215593-4fb5-4680-8710-16d5935320b2 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/BTq77cv3GDjUZpsn-1ngeVgT32Q=/0x0:2000x1125/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2Fb5215593-4fb5-4680-8710-16d5935320b2 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">Legendary actor Gene Hackman's life in pictures</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2025/02/27/19/45/gene-hackman-life-in-pictures-oscar-winning-actor-found-dead-with-wife-betsy-arakawa">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The Mayo Clinic advises to avoid contact with rodents if possible and to wear protection when cleaning up rodent habitats due to limited treatments for the disease.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>There is currently no specific treatment for the hantavirus and symptoms, which present as flu-like at the beginning, may take up to two months to show up according to health experts.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Heather Jarrell, the chief medical examiner for the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator, said Arakawa died suddenly from hantavirus.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Hackman died days later from complications of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with advanced Alzheimer's disease as a contributing factor to his death. He was 95.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727"><em><strong><span>Apple App Store</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU"><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>.</span></strong></em></div></div>