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Iowa resident dies from suspected West African virus

WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – Iowa health officials have confirmed that a resident who recently traveled to West Africa died of Lassa fever.

“I want to reassure Iowans that the risk of transmission in our state is incredibly low,” said Dr. Robert Kruse, state medical director for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.

“We continue to investigate and monitor this situation and implement necessary public health protocols.”

Preliminary testing was conducted by the Nebraska Laboratory Response Network and revealed the resident tested positive for Lassa fever.

Officials will monitor people who were in close contact with the deceased person for 21 days.

Lassa fever is transmitted by the “multimammate rat,” which occurs in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it is found in parts of West Africa, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea and Nigeria.

The disease causes symptoms such as mild fever, fatigue, headache, difficulty breathing, bleeding, vomiting, chest pain, facial swelling, and difficulty breathing.

The virus is spread through rodents' urine and feces. It can also be transmitted to a healthy person through fluid from an infected person.

Officials advised individuals to catch rats from nearby areas and store food in containers.

To treat the disease, the antiviral drug ribavirin was used by infected people, according to the CDC.

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