After autopsy results confirmed the final hours of Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa, new details have emerged about their tragic death.

Arakawa, 65, died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), an extremely rare and fatal illness spread by rodents, while Hackman, 95, died of cardiovascular disease days later, complicated by advanced Alzheimer's.

Last month, they were found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico, home while Hackman was wandering the house, apparently thinking his wife had died. His pacemaker showed activity until February 17, meaning he likely lived several days after Arakawa's death.

Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, a USC Keck School of Medicine professor, told TMZ that while the condition is rare—only one or two people in the country will die from it every year—there is no reason why Arakawa might not have had a better chance of surviving had she been diagnosed earlier.

According to Klausner, "Hantavirus can cause a flu-like illness, and it's often confused with the flu or similar respiratory infections," Klausner told the outlet. "Because of its rarity, it's not something that many doctors would immediately suspect."

It spreads faster through inhaling particles after rodent droppings, urine, or saliva. Symptoms start similar to the flu but can progress to severe respiratory distress syndrome, multi-organ failure, and life-threatening hypotension.

"Unfortunately, there is no direct treatment for hantavirus," Klausner explained. "Survival depends on early diagnosis and supportive care. Patients who receive oxygen or mechanical ventilation in an ICU have a much better chance of recovery."

"If someone was suspected of having hantavirus, or just suspected of having severe pneumonia – I mean it's really very similar to having a severe pneumonia – if you go to the hospital, you're gonna be provided with oxygen," the expert added.

In an intensive care unit, the patient might be given mechanical ventilator support if their lungs are unable to breathe on their own, with some fortunate individuals accessing that early form of intervention surviving and recovering from hantavirus.

According to Klausner, the disease takes days to a week to two weeks to progress, much like when someone has influenza.

Arakawa's Final Moments

He also went on to discuss Arakawa's last hours, stating how she may have been in long-term difficulty and had gradually been short of breath, had dizziness, and was short of breath with exertion and walking, and for all these reasons did not seek further medical care.

Investigators are piecing together the final days of Arakawa as they try to figure out how she caught the virus. She was pictured on February 9 collecting the couple's dog, Zinna, from the vet after her surgery.

Per the Daily Mail, two days later, on February 11, she emailed her massage therapist before going to a supermarket, a pharmacy, and a pet food store. The couple's friends say she usually wore a face mask to spare her husband's immuno-compromised condition, and the CCTV showed her wearing one.

She was last spotted on her way home at around 5:15 PM that day. After that day, she did not reply to any emails, and authorities have determined she died soon after returning home.

Days later, she was found dead in the bathroom, next to the space heater, with her thyroid medication scattered around. Investigators believe she could have fought the disease for days, with her condition worsening gradually before she passed away.

Experts Suspect Garage as Infection Source

Experts suspect Arakawa likely caught the virus while cleaning out the couple's garage. Although no evidence of rodent activity was noted in the main house, officials said droppings were found in the garage and adjacent outbuildings.

Dr. Klausner said infections usually occur when people disturb dust contaminated with bacteria. He added, "It's often contracted after people have been cleaning an attic or a basement because they're coming into contact with the rat or the mouse droppings, or rate or mouse urine."

An investigation is also underway into the possibility that the couple's dog, Zinna, could have been at risk. However, dogs do not display symptoms of the disease even if infected with hantavirus, and no cases of canine transmission of hantavirus to humans have been recorded.

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Celebrity deaths