DES MOINES, Iowa — An eastern Iowa resident has died from Lassa fever, according to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The middle-aged man is believed to have contracted the virus on a recent trip to West Africa.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working to confirm the diagnosis of Lassa fever. The first test was conducted Monday at the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory.
“This is a difficult time for this individual’s family and we extend our deepest condolences,” said Dr. Robert Kruse, state medical director for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. “I want to assure Iowans that the risk of infection is incredibly low in our state. We continue to investigate and monitor this situation and are implementing the necessary public health protocols. Masu.”
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services is working closely with the University of Iowa Health Care, where the patient was being treated, the CDC, and local public health partners to closely monitor possible close contacts of the patient. Identifies a person who has. .
Lassa fever is not spread by hugging, shaking hands, sitting close to someone, or through air contact.
Although very rare, the virus can be transmitted by person-to-person contact through blood or body fluids.
Lassa fever is transmitted by rodents in West Africa and can be transmitted to humans who may have come into contact with infected rodent urine or feces.
There have been eight travel-associated cases of Lassa fever in the United States in the past 55 years.
Approximately 80% of people with Lassa fever have mild or no symptoms.
