Barisal Mail Desk: An Iowa resident has died after contracting a suspected case of Lassa fever, health officials have confirmed. The patient was diagnosed after returning to the U.S. from West Africa earlier this month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (IDHHS).
Hospitalized in isolation at the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center in Iowa City, the patient passed away on Tuesday. Despite the tragic outcome, health officials have emphasized that the risk to the general public remains low, as cases of Lassa fever are primarily reported in West Africa.
What is Lassa Fever?
Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic illness caused by the Lassa virus, per the World Health Organization (WHO). Dr. Albert Ko, a professor of public health at the Yale School of Public Health, explains, “Lassa fever is a potentially life-threatening viral disease.” The virus is transmitted by multimammate rats in parts of West Africa, including Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone, and can also affect neighboring regions.
Since its identification in 1969 in Lassa, Nigeria, only eight travel-related cases have been reported in the U.S. over the past 55 years, according to IDHHS, underscoring the rarity of the disease outside West Africa.
How Lassa Fever Spreads
The virus is primarily spread through contact with urine or droppings from contaminated rats. This exposure can happen through contact with contaminated objects, food, open cuts, or through airborne particles during sweeping or cleaning. Transmission can also occur between humans via contact with bodily fluids, but the CDC clarifies that Lassa fever is not airborne like COVID-19.
Symptoms of Lassa Fever
Symptoms usually emerge between one and three weeks after infection, according to the CDC. Early signs may include fever, fatigue, and malaise, with more severe symptoms potentially developing in later stages.
For more details on Lassa fever and the steps to prevent it, refer to CDC guidelines.
Barisal Mail reports with reference to ABC News.