Gene Hackman's Property Plagued By Rats And Was 'Breeding Ground' For Hantavirus

Gene Hackman's residence was severely "infested" with rats, making it what has been described as a "breeding ground" for the deadly hantavirus.

The legendary actor and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, were found dead at his Santa Fe mansion in February, alongside their dog, with reports later confirming she died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome about a week before he passed away.

Gene Hackman's daughter Leslie has since broken her silence on her father and stepmom's deaths, explaining that although it was concerning, it was "not terribly shocking because he was 95."

More revelations are coming out from investigations into Hackman and Arakawa's deaths earlier this year.

The couple was found dead at their New Mexico home in February after a neighbor called police to perform a welfare check on them.

Carbon monoxide poisoning was initially suspected to have been the cause of their death but was later ruled out after investigators discovered their dog was also found dead elsewhere on the property.

The New Mexico chief medical examiner, Dr. Heather Jarrell, told a press conference in Santa Fe in March that it was "reasonable to conclude" that Arakawa died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome on February 11, a rare condition that's brought about by the hantavirus which spreads mainly by rodents and can cause various disease syndromes in people.

Hackman died a week later, on February 18, of "hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer's disease as a significant contributory factor," the expert said.

Hantavirus infection occurs through inhalation of aerosolized urine, droppings, or saliva of infected rodents.

According to TMZ, the New Mexico Department of Public Health conducted a health assessment on the property after the tragic event, and it has now been declared that the mansion was "infested" with rats, making it a "breeding ground" for the deadly hantavirus.

Droppings were found in three garages, two casitas, and three sheds on the property. Also, a live rodent, a dead one, as well as a rodent nest were found in three more garages on the property.

The property also had traps on site, suggesting that the Hackman had been trying to find a solution to the rodent infestation their home was under.

They also conducted the health assessment on first responders or others who were on the property were safe, with the results declaring the primary residence as "low risk" with no signs of a rodent infestation inside.

Shortly after his death, Hackman's daughter Leslie broke her silence in an interview with the Daily Mail, suggesting that his passing was quite puzzling as "there was no indication that there was any problem" with her father.

"Despite his age, he was in very good physical condition," she told the news outlet, adding that the actor did not have any major surgeries in the months before his death. "He liked to do Pilates and yoga, and he was continuing to do that several times a week. So he was in good health."

She went on to say that his death, however, was "not terribly shocking because he was 95."

Meanwhile, Leslie and Hackman's children and family may not get anything from his fortune as his will listed Arakawa, whom he married in 1991, as his sole inheritor.

On the other hand, Arakawa's will stipulated that if she and Hackman were to die within 90 days of each other, the proceeds from the estate would be donated to charity.

Little was known of Hackman in his final years as he had become quite a reclusive figure following the end of his acting career in 2004 at age 74.

He relocated from Los Angeles to New Mexico after his retirement and told Empire in a 2009 interview that his health was the major cause of his calling it quits on his acting career.

"The straw that broke the camel's back was actually a stress test that I took in New York," Hackman said. "The doctor advised me that my heart wasn't in the kind of shape that I should be putting it under any stress."

Hackman's last role was in the 2004 film "Welcome to Mooseport," where he played a former US president who retired to Maine and ran for mayor in the small fictional town opposite Ray Romano.

In her interview with the Daily Mail, Leslie credited Hackman's wife, Arakawa, "for keeping him alive."

"They had a wonderful marriage. And I give credit to his wife, Betsy, for keeping him alive," she said. "[Betsy] took very, very good care of him and was always looking out for his health."

She added, "So I am appreciative to her for that, and I'm very saddened by her passing."