Authorities say hantavirus is blamed in the death of Gene Hackman’s wife, Betsy Arakawa. The rare virus is spread by contact with rodents or their urine or feces.

Betsy Arakawa — the classical pianist married to Gene Hackman — died last month of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare infectious disease linked to rodents, New Mexico authorities announced Friday.

Betsy Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a rare rodent-spread disease with a mortality rate up to 50% in the American Southwest, officials said.