This 9NEWS package from the early 1990s talks about the discovery of a "mystery illness" known as hantavirus. It was first identified in the four corners region. Authorities said on Friday that hantavirus was responsible for the death of Gene Hackman's wife, Betsy Arakawa, 65. She was found with an open prescription bottle and pills scattered on the bathroom counter of their New Mexico home. Authorities linked her death to hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. Hackman died of heart disease about a week after his wife's death. The virus is rare in Colorado, though not unheard of – with 122 cases reported statewide between 1993 and 2023. That's the second most cases of any state over that time period. Only New Mexico has had more cases. More local videos here: https://bit.ly/2Pa0d1l Subscribe to NEXT: http://bit.ly/2eP1GwI Stay connected: 9NEWS Website: http://www.9news.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ilike9news X: https://x.com/9NEWS Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/9newsdenver/ Download the 9NEWS App: https://www.9news.com/appredirect/ Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTER: https://www.9news.com/email 9NEWS (KUSA) is located in Denver, Colorado.