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

The latest headlines from our reporters across the U.S. are delivered straight to your inbox every weekday

Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US

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

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

Preliminary information indicated that the patient may have had contact with rodents during his trip. The virus is typically transmitted by infected rodents and spread to humans through contact with urine or feces.

“This is a difficult time for this person’s family and I would like to express our deepest condolences,” said Dr. Robert Kruse, state medical director for the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services.

“I want to reassure Iowans that the risk of transmission in our state is incredibly low. We continue to investigate and monitor this situation and implement necessary public health protocols.”

The disease is a viral illness that is common in West Africa but is not common in the United States.

In rare cases, it can be spread from person to person through direct contact with a sick person's blood, body fluids, mucous membranes or sexual contact, according to the CDC. According to the World Health Organization, the virus cannot be transmitted through casual contact and patients are not contagious until they show symptoms, which can include fever, general weakness and malaise.

After a few days, you may experience headache, sore throat, muscle pain, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cough and stomach pain. In severe cases, the patient may show signs of facial swelling, fluid in the lung cavity, bleeding from the mouth, nose, vagina, or gastrointestinal tract, and low blood pressure may develop.

Shock, seizures, tremors, disorientation and coma can result. Numbness can occur in 25 percent of cases, but this usually partially recurs after one to three months. In fatal cases, patients usually die within 14 days.

Between 100,000 and 300,000 cases of Lassa fever are diagnosed each year. There are around 5,000 deaths related to the virus every year. About 80 percent of people who get the disease have mild or no symptoms.

If the CDC confirms the diagnosis, it would be just the ninth time since 1969 that a traveler returning to the U.S. has contracted the virus. People who had close contact with the patient will be monitored for 21 days.

The agency considers the virus a “Category A” disease, meaning it can lead to high mortality rates and cause public panic and social unrest. Anthrax, botulism, plague and smallpox are on the same list.

The agency plans to release more information while the investigation continues.