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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Michelle Del Rey

An Iowa resident has died from rare Lassa fever. What to know about the virus

James Koninga, head of the ecology team at the Kenema Government Hospital in Sierra Leone is seen with his personal protective equipment in Mapuma village outside Kenema on June 12, 2024. Researchers are studying Lassa fever, a viral hemorrhagic disease endemic to several West African countries and transmitted by rodents - (AFP via Getty Images)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are investigating the death of an Iowa resident believed to have contracted Lassa fever following a recent trip to West Africa.

The patient was hospitalized in isolation at the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center, where they died Monday afternoon, the agency revealed. The victim, who state officials identified as “middle-aged,” was not ill while traveling, and the risk to other airline passengers was extremely low.

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