Hantavirus comes from contact with rodents, especially after exposure to their urine, droppings and saliva. Read about how common it is in California.

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.

For years, actor Gene Hackman’s doting wife Betsy Arakawa would do whatever she could to help keep him healthy, whether it meant wearing a mask everywhere she went or encouraging him to stay fit by riding his bike or doing yoga on Zoom.