Iowa Department Of Health Reports Death Of Resident From Lassa Fever After West Africa Visit

October 29, 2024

The Washington Post (10/28) reports the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed that “a person from Iowa who recently returned to the United States from West Africa died Monday from a rare viral hemorrhagic fever that can be transmitted among humans through infected body fluids.” State health officials confirmed that the “‘middle-aged eastern Iowa resident’ died of Lassa fever. The individual had traveled to West Africa, where they likely contracted the virus after possibly coming into contact with rodents, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” Also reporting is Reuters (10/28).