Betsy Arakawa died from hantavirus days before her husband, actor Gene Hackman, died of heart disease, New Mexico officials said.

Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman who was in poor health with advanced Alzheimer's disease, died seven days after his wife Betsy Arakawa died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, officials said. NBC News' Liz Kreutz reports from Sante Fe,

Betsy Arakawa, 65, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, and the Oscar-winning actor, who was in poor health with advanced Alzheimer’s disease, died seven days later, officials said.

Gene Hackman​ died of heart disease and Betsy Arakawa's cause of death was hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, officials said.

Worries about hantavirus are spreading online after news broke that the late Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, had passed away from the rare virus.

Actor Gene Hackman died of natural causes, New Mexico’s chief medical examiner said today. His wife, Betsy Arakawa, died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome and likely passed before her husband. Follow for live news updates.

Gene Hackman and Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home last week in a gated community in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Betsy Arakawa died from hantavirus days before her husband, actor Gene Hackman, died of heart disease, New Mexico officials said.

Hackman, 95, died of cardiovascular and Alzheimer's disease likely around Feb. 18, about one week after his wife died from a rare syndrome, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, on about Feb. 11, officials said.