Health officials are looking into the death of an Iowan resident, who succumbed to the symptoms of Lassa fever, a viral illness seldom witnessed in the US. The unnamed resident made his way back home after a trip to West Africa earlier in the month.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while he may have contracted the illness abroad, the risk of passing it on to fellow passengers on his flight back is “extremely low." He was isolated at the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center, and subsequent testing by the Nebraska Laboratory Response Network on Monday indicated positive for Lassa fever.
What is Lassa fever?
Lassa fever is native to West Africa, where it claims the lives of several thousands each year. According to the National Library of Medicine, the illness is a viral hemorrhagic fever communicated by rats. The illness, named after the town where it was first perceived in 1969, is infamous for expressing itself not long after someone has contracted it.
According to the CDC, one in every three persons becomes deaf, and in most cases, it turns permanent. In case a pregnant woman contracts the same, “there is a high risk of miscarriages.”
Given that Lassa fever is transmitted mainly via rat excretions, humans are likely to contract the same either by ingesting or inhaling it. This means coming in contact with contaminated surfaces, having exposed cuts or sores that can come in contact with the virus, or breathing unclean air. Per the CDC,
"People with Lassa fever are not contagious until after their symptoms begin."
Notably, humans are safe from spreading the disease further even after the symptoms present themselves, and even at that, the CDC reveals that the virus can't be transmitted via "casual contact" like a handshake or a hug.
Symptoms include slight fever, headaches, feeling weak and tired, and if things take a more serious turn, it can range from bleeding, trouble inhaling, puking, shock, and more. Symptoms typically present themselves within three weeks after infection.
In speaking to CBS News about the risk of transmission, Dr. Robert Kruse, state medical director of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, said:
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"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."
In the last 55 years, only eight travel-related cases of the illness have been reported in the US, with the last one being in 2015.
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