Authorities have reported that a third person in Mammoth Lakes, California, has died from hantavirus, the same virus that killed Betsy Arakawa, wife of actor Gene Hackman, earlier this year.
Mono County Health & Human Services confirmed on Thursday that a young adult had died from the illness. Dr. Tom Boo, the county’s public health officer, shared that the exact source of the virus is unclear.
“We don’t have a clear sense of where this young adult may have contracted the virus. The home had no evidence of mouse activity,” he explained. “We observed some mice in the workplace, which is not unusual for indoor spaces this time of year in Mammoth Lakes. We haven’t identified any other activities in the weeks before illness that would have increased this person’s exposure to mice or their droppings.”
Hantavirus is spread by contact with rodents, their urine, or feces, but it doesn’t spread between people. While there’s no specific cure, getting medical help early can improve the chances of survival.
The virus can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a serious and sometimes fatal lung infection. Dr. Sonja Bartolome from UT Southwestern Medical Center explained that hantavirus symptoms often begin like the flu, with body aches and feeling generally unwell. “Early in the illness, you really may not be able to tell the difference between hantavirus and having the flu.”
All three recent deaths in Mono County were linked to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, which is commonly spread by deer mice. Dr. Boo mentioned that there are more deer mice this year in Mammoth Lakes, and more indoor mice can increase the risk of hantavirus exposure.
So far, health officials do not believe that the three people who died were involved in activities usually associated with hantavirus exposure, such as cleaning poorly ventilated areas or dealing with mouse waste. Instead, Boo suggested that these people might have been exposed during normal activities in their homes or workplaces.
The three people who died all started feeling sick in February. Investigators found some evidence of mice in their workplaces, but no major infestations were reported. One of them had many mice in their home. One person had been vacuuming in areas where mouse droppings were later found, which can release the virus into the air and cause infection.
To reduce the risk of hantavirus, health officials recommend avoiding contact with rodents and their droppings. If you need to clean up droppings, use gloves and a bleach solution.
The CDC started tracking hantavirus after an outbreak in 1993 in the Four Corners region, where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah meet. Since then, most U.S. cases have been reported in western states.
Earlier this year, authorities confirmed that Betsy Arakawa, 65, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in her home, which she shared with Gene Hackman. While they haven’t figured out how Arakawa became infected, it was confirmed that Hackman, 95, died from heart disease complicated by Alzheimer’s a few days after his wife’s death. Their dog, Zinna, was found dead from starvation and dehydration.
In the video below, authorities reveal the causes of death for Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa on March 14, 2025.
