New Mexico health officials confirmed Friday that Betsy Arakawa died from a hantavirus infection. The announcement has drawn medical and public attention to a rare but frequently deadly rodent-borne illness that remains poorly understood and lacks a targeted cure.
Hantavirus is transmitted to humans through contact with infected rodents or their urine and feces. The virus does not spread from person to person. Once contracted, the infection can progress rapidly from mild, flu-like symptoms to severe, life-threatening respiratory distress.
“It really starts like the flu: body aches, feeling poorly overall,” said Dr. Sonja Bartolome of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. “Early in the illness, you really may not be able to tell the difference between hantavirus and having the flu.”
As the illness advances, it can cause hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, a severe lung condition that forces fluid into the lungs and restricts breathing. Symptoms typically appear one to eight weeks after exposure, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Patients may experience fatigue, fever, muscle aches, coughing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. The CDC estimates that about a third of people who develop respiratory symptoms from the virus die.
There is no specific treatment for hantavirus. Early medical intervention increases the likelihood of survival, but clinical options remain supportive rather than curative.
The CDC first began tracking the pathogen after a cluster of deaths emerged in the Four Corners region in 1993, where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet. Dr. Michelle Harkins, a pulmonologist with the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, said an astute physician with the Indian Health Service originally recognized the pattern: young, otherwise healthy patients arriving in cardiopulmonary arrest. That observation prompted federal investigation and the eventual identification of the virus.
Since 1993, the majority of U.S. cases have occurred in western states, particularly the Southwest. Between 1993 and 2022, the country recorded 864 cases. New Mexico reported the highest total with 122, followed closely by Colorado with 119. State data shows seven confirmed cases in New Mexico in both 2023 and 2024, with 52 deaths documented between 1975 and 2023.
In the wake of Arakawa’s death, the CDC has offered to test samples from her case to identify the specific viral strain and conduct pathology testing, officials said.
Despite decades of study, significant gaps in medical understanding remain. Dr. Harkins said researchers still cannot fully explain why the disease presents mildly in some individuals while triggering fatal respiratory failure in others, or exactly how long-term immunity develops. “A lot of mysteries,” Harkins said, adding that direct exposure to mice remains the primary known risk factor.
Public health experts emphasize prevention as the most effective defense. They recommend using protective gloves and a bleach solution when cleaning areas contaminated by rodents. Experts caution against sweeping or vacuuming rodent droppings, which can aerosolize the virus and increase the risk of inhalation.