An Iowa resident who recently traveled to West Africa has died from a fever caused by the Lassa virus, the state’s Department of Health and Human Services said on Oct. 28.
The department said it believed that the person, whose name, age, and gender have not been disclosed, contracted the virus while in Africa.
The person was not sick while traveling back to Iowa, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Testing indicated Lassa fever was the cause. More testing is planned.
The person died at the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center on Monday, the CDC said.
“This is a difficult time for the family of this individual and I want to express our deepest condolences,” Dr. Robert Kruse, Iowa’s medical director, said in a statement. “I want to assure Iowans that the risk of transmission is incredibly low in our state. We continue to investigate and monitor this situation and are implementing the necessary public health protocols.”
Like Ebola, the Lassa virus causes severe fever. It is typically transmitted to humans through exposure to food or items that have been contaminated by the urine or feces of infected rats.
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