Further details have come to light two months after actor Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa were tragically found dead at their home.
The bodies of the 95-year-old Hollywood star and his 65-year-old other half were discovered at the propery in New Mexico on February 26 after security guards saw their bodies through a window and raised the alarm.
While carbon monoxide poisoning was initially considered as one of their three dogs was also found dead, this was later ruled out.
It was later determined that the couple had died within a week of each other with Arakawa passing first from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome on February 12.
Hackman is believed to have died on February 18 from severe heart disease, which was exacerbated by Alzheimer's disease and kidney disease.
A week after the grisly discovery, the New Mexico Department of Public Health conducted a health assessment on the property with results only now being revealed.
According to documents viewed by TMZ, the Hackman’s property was found to be a “breeding ground” for the hantavirus, with dead rodents and their nests were found in “eight detached outbuildings”.
The rare infectious disease was first identified in South Korea in 1978 when researchers isolated the virus from a field mouse.
It is linked to rodents and can often prove fatal in humans, who contract hantavirus by inhaling particles from infected rodent droppings, urine or nesting materials.
There were droppings found in three garages, two casitas, and three sheds on the property.
Two vehicles on the estate had evidence of rodents, and they found traps in the buildings as well, suggesting this had been an ongoing issue for the couple.
The health assessment was conducted to assess whether first responders or others who were on the property were safe from the virus.
They concluded that the primary residence was deemed “low-risk” with no signs of a rodent infestation inside.
The virus is rare in the US, with fewer than 50 cases are reported yearly. For reference, there are roughly 2,000 cases of West Nile Virus reported in the US annually.
Following Arakawa's death, the virus claimed three more victims in the town of Mammoth Lakes, California.
