How Did Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa’s Dog Die? Police Share Update

However, it is highly unlikely that Zinna died from the same disease that killed Arakawa, according to officials. As Phipps put it, “Dogs do not get sick from hantavirus.”

“These viruses are zoonotic,” she noted, “meaning they are transmitted from animals to humans.”

Phipps added that the risk of exposure in Hackman and Arakawa’s home was “low, similar to other well-maintained houses in New Mexico,” but that investigators did “identify signs of rodent entry” in other structures on their property.

“Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is a rare disease caused by hantaviruses, but a small number of human infections are found every year in New Mexico,” she said. “This is a serious disease.”

For a look back at Hackman and Arakawa through the years, keep reading…