Iowa Resident Dies of Suspected Lassa Fever After Trip to West Africa

TUESDAY, Oct. 29, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Health officials are investigating the case of an Iowa resident who died of Lassa fever after traveling recently to West Africa.

The Ebola-like virus is rarely seen in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"The CDC and the Iowa Department of Health are investigating a suspected case of Lassa fever, which was diagnosed today in an Iowa resident who returned to the United States from West Africa early this month," the CDC said in a health alert issued Monday. "The patient was not sick while traveling, so the risk to fellow airline passengers is extremely low. The patient was hospitalized in isolation at the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center when they died earlier this afternoon. Testing by the Nebraska Laboratory Response Network lab early this morning found the illness was presumptively positive for Lassa fever and confirmatory testing is planned."

If confirmed, the Iowa case would be only the ninth reported since 1969 of Lassa fever in travelers returning to the United States from areas where the virus is commonly found, the CDC added.

In its own health notice posted on Monday, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services reported the death and noted that the CDC is working to confirm the diagnosis.

“This is a difficult time for the family of this individual and I want to express our deepest condolences,” Iowa State Medical Director Dr. Robert Kruse, said in the notice. “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.”

Lassa fever is not usually spread between humans through casual contact. Typically, the virus is transmitted when someone comes into contact with an infected person’s bodily fluids. In West Africa, the virus is carried by rodents and spread to humans through contact with an infected rodent's urine or droppings.

It is very rare for someone to die from Lassa fever. According to the World Health Organization, the disease has an overall fatality rate of just 1%.

About 80% of people who become infected with Lassa virus have no symptoms, according to the WHO. However, 1 in 5 infections result in severe disease, where the virus affects several organs such as the liver, spleen and kidneys.

Someone with milder symptoms may develop a slight fever, feel tired or have a headache. In severe cases, the patient may have bleeding; difficulty breathing; pain in the chest, back and abdomen; and vomiting, the CDC says.

Prompt treatment is imperative: Ribavirin, a broad-spectrum antiviral that is also used to treat hepatitis C, is the primary medication used to fight the disease, according to the CDC.

Kruse said his department, in conjunction with the CDC and local public health partners, is trying to determine who may have had close contact with the patient.

More information

The CDC has more on Lassa fever.

SOURCES: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health alert, Oct. 28, 2024; Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, health alert, Oct. 28, 2024