Posted on 03/07/2025 3:48:23 PM PST by nickcarraway
Authorities revealed Friday that actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease and showed severe signs of Alzheimer’s disease a full week after his wife died of hantavirus in their home.
The rare but deadly virus is most commonly spread through breathing in contaminated air. Since the end of 2022, 864 cases of hantavirus disease have were reported in the United States since surveillance began in 1993.
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The syndrome is a rare lung disease that kills about a third of those infected. Symptoms can include fever, chills, cough, headaches, gastrointestinal problems, muscle aches and fatigue, though it is not communicable from person to person.
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Where it occurs: Anywhere in the U.S.; recent cases were in Yosemite National Park in California.
Prevention: Keep rodents out of your home; carefully clean any nests with disinfectant or bleach and water.
So sad. She dies first, then he with severe Alzheimer’s disease is with her dead body for days? My God how horrible is that?
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction.🤔
It had to be really bad for him not to understand how to open a fridge.
He was okay 2 years ago
DOG===NECROPSY
Rather famous YouTuber named Dalton summit got it from mouse poo in a vehicle he was reviving. It put him in the hospital it is a nasty bug no doubt
Or to call for help. And the dog was probably whining and barking most of the time. Just terrible.
I keep wondering about their kids, I think I read 2 of them? Why had they not been in touch more knowing decline of dad, and possibly, if they kept in touch weekly or so, that mom was sick?
Maybe I’m old fashioned thinking but most adult kids I know check in routinely with elderly parents. and I f more than one kid sometimes they space contact between them so multiple calls per week-ish?
I feel bad for the dog too, stuck in cage.
Very sad that many elderly either stubbornly choose to live not near relatives or have someone check on them frequently, or “don’t want to be a burden to kids or anyone” making unfortunate things happen, no one knows til way too late.
Hantavirus, aka the bubonic plague.
Completely different diseases.
Agreed. Most people go to the doctor or call 911 before the get anywhere sick enough to die from a virus.
I don't think she was instantly incapacitated.
Wrong, although the plague is also in NM.
Hanta virus was a big scare many years ago when we lived in the high plateau area of Arizona. Was more a concern to us while camping. During that outbreak, residents were warned about being near mice urine and/or any dust they kicked up. People who lived remote and swept cabin floors were really on alert.
“One would expect her to get help if she was ill. “
She had been to CVS for a prescription the day she died.
Sis and I alternated days calling our mom until she was died at 99. My brother and his family had lived with her since she turned 90, but we needed to check on all of them. The farmhouse was built in 1830, and we don’t totally trust that issues can’t occur there.
Yes very strange- would be nice to know where those 35 cases are from too- hantavirus deaths are extremely rare- My first thought was ‘cover-story’? The dead dog adds to the mysteriousness of the case- Gene apparently had alzheimers or dementia of some kind- so it’s possible he didn’t know what was happening if she died first- but 2 deaths from the virus? Possibly 3? Why not the other 2 dogs?
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I assume the dog died from thirst / dehydration. It was found in a crate / kennel or in a closet.
So the wife died first, the dog maybe 3-4 days later. And then Gene died from a heart attack. He had advanced Alzheimer’s, so he wasn’t able to take care of himself or call for help.
ah yup- could be- supposedly a person can only live 3 days or so without water-
same for ther dog too- probably died of thirst- uggh-
Some wealthy people can be extremely frugal and refuse to spend money on anything they just tough it out.
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