The actor’s wife, Betsy Arakawa, died of a respiratory illness linked to rodents, New Mexico officials said. Mr. Hackman had Alzheimer’s, which contributed to his death from heart disease.

Gene Hackman died of cardiovascular disease about a week after his wife died of hantavirus, according to the New Mexico medical examiner.

Worries about hantavirus are spreading online after news broke that the late Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, had passed away from the rare virus.