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Iowan dies from rare Lassa Fever
The Iowa Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed the death of a state resident from a rare disease.
HHS says the middle-aged eastern Iowa resident is believed to have contracted Lassa Fever during a recent trip to West Africa. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working to confirm the diagnosis.
Information from Iowa HHS says it is working closely with the University of Iowa Health Care, where the person was being treated, and the CDC to identify anyone who may have been in close contact with the patient as a precaution for monitoring. The virus can be transmitted from human to human contact through blood or bodily fluids. HHS says there have only been eight travel-associated cases of Lassa fever in the U.S. in the past 55 years, and approximately 80% of those who contract Lassa fever have mild or no symptoms at all.
