Fox News medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel says Americans under 1 year old are at risk on 'America Reports.' A middle-aged Iowa resident has died from Lassa fever, according to an alert from the Iowa Department of Health & Human Services (HHS).
The person, whose name and age were not shared, had recently returned to the state after traveling to West Africa , the release stated. The initial testing of the patient was performed on Monday at the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory on Monday, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is "working to confirm the diagnosis," per Iowa HHS. FAUCI SAYS WEST NILE VIRUS WAS A ‘HARROWING’ EXPERIENCE: ‘AFRAID I WOULD NEVER RECOVER’ "This is a difficult time for the family of this individual and I want to express our deepest condolences," said Dr.
Robert Kruse, state medical director of IOWA HHS, in the release. Lassa fever is a hemorrhagic viral infection spread by rats in West Africa. (iStock) "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." The patient received care at the University of Iowa Health Care, which is working closely with Iowa HHS, the CDC and other local public health partners to assist with contact tracing and monitoring, per the release. What is Lassa fever? Lassa fever is a hemorrhagic viral infection spread by rats in West Africa, according to Edwa.
