Hollywood actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa's Santa Fe -ownership were a 'breeding ground for infection', with dead rats and droppings over the entire building, according to a new report. There were no signs of an infection in the primary home of the couple, it added.
A week after their bodies were found, the New Mexico Department of Public Health investigated the real estate and found rodent droppings in three garages, two small guesthouses and three barns. Unlike this, they also found one living rodent, one dead rodent and a very rodent nest, according to TMZ.
The first study showed that the main building was safe, but this check did not include the other buildings in the building.
The investigation was fully conducted after the autopsy reports from Mrs. Arakawa have shown that she died of the HantaVirus stulmonary syndrome. This is a rare disease that people can catch from contact with rodents, exceptions of rodents, saliva and urine.
The officials later found eight other buildings and two vehicles had signs of rodents.
Hackman died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disorders about a week after his wife died. He also suffered from Alzheimer's disease and probably did not know that Mrs. Arakawa, his primary caregiver, was dead.
According to The Guardian, researchers suspect that Mr. Hackman was too weak and confused to seek medical help, survived almost a week before he succumbed to heart disease. He was dependent on his wife for medicines, household groceries and even the simplest tasks.
The couple was found dead in their apartment on 18 February after a maintenance employee reported to the authorities that their front door was open. Mrs Arakawa's body was found in the bathroom and Mr Hackman's near the kitchen.
When the authorities arrived, another employee told them that they had not seen the homeowners for a while and also spoke with them about two weeks ago.
