Several dead rodents and their habitats have been found near the home where Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead.
Documents from the New Mexico Department of Public Health, which BBC News has seen, say there was evidence of rodents in eight different buildings on their Santa Fe property.
US officials previously confirmed that 53-year-old Arakawa died from a respiratory illness linked to hantavirus, which is transmitted by rodents.
She is believed to have died a week before her husband, 95-year-old Gene Hackman, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease.
Authorities found the bodies in their home in February.
An ecological assessment of the property was conducted on March 5, a week after they were found, as part of the investigation into their deaths.
On that occasion, rodent droppings were discovered in three garages, one live rodent, one dead, as well as additional rodent tracks in two small outhouses and three sheds.
Traps were also set.
Rodents, their habitats, and droppings were also seen in two abandoned vehicles or agricultural machinery on the property.
All eight outbuildings were located 45 meters from the main house where the couple lived, and the house itself, according to officials, was "clean and free of signs of rodent activity," the report said.
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Authorities believe Arakawa died on February 12 and her husband on February 18, with their bodies found on February 26.
Medical investigators believe Arakawa suffered from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS), a lung disease whose symptoms include fatigue, fever, muscle aches, dizziness and stomach upset, which led to her sudden death.
The cause of Heckman's death was severe heart disease, while advanced Alzheimer's was cited as an additional factor.
Alzheimer's disease has probably prevented to realize that his wife, with whom he had been married for over 30 years, had passed away in the same house.
What is hantavirus and how is it transmitted?
Hantavirus is transmitted by rodents, and humans become infected by inhaling particles from dried rodent feces.
Infections usually occur when the virus becomes airborne from the urine, feces or saliva of rodents, it suggests. Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
If respiratory symptoms appear during this period, the mortality rate is around 38 percent.
There were 864 cases of hantavirus reported in the United States between 1993 and 2022, mostly in rural areas of the western states.
There is no cure for hantavirus infection.
Therapy to relieve symptoms is generally recommended.
Patients in serious conditions may be admitted to intensive care.
It is recommended to avoid contact with rodents in homes or workplaces to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus.
It is also advisable to close the entrances to the basement or attic, where rodents can enter the house.
It is also recommended to wear protective equipment when cleaning up rodent droppings to avoid breathing contaminated air.
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