An Iowa resident has died from a suspected case of Lassa fever after returning from West Africa earlier this month.

The individual was hospitalized in isolation at the University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center and passed away shortly after admission.

Preliminary tests conducted by the Nebraska Laboratory Response Network indicated a presumptive positive result for Lassa fever;  confirmatory testing is underway.

Lassa fever, endemic to West Africa, is transmitted to humans through contact with urine or droppings of infected rodents and, in rare cases, through person-to-person contact via bodily fluids.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assesses the risk to the general public as extremely low, noting that the patient was not symptomatic during travel, minimizing the risk to fellow passengers.