An Iowa resident has died after contracting Lassa fever during a trip to Africa, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services said. 

The department confirmed Tuesday that a middle-aged Iowan died Monday due to a hemorrhage brought on by Lassa fever. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not confirmed the cause of death. 

Iowa’s HHS is working with local and federal health authorities to help determine who the individual was in close contact with before his death. The individual was not experiencing symptoms while traveling, making the risk to fellow airline passengers low, according to the CDC. 

“This is a difficult time for the family of this individual and I want to express our deepest condolences,” State Medical Director for Iowa HHS Robert Kruse said in a statement. “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.”

According to the CDC, the virus is not spread through normal human contact or through the air, and can only be spread through the transfer of bodily fluids such as blood or mucus. 

There have been only eight known cases of Lassa fever in the U.S. over the past half-century. The virus is difficult to detect since most, about 80%, who contract Lassa fever suffer mild or no symptoms. However, those who suffer severe symptoms will experience bleeding, difficulty breathing, vomiting and even shock.

The virus is much more common in West African countries like Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Nigeria, where the CDC records about 5,000 deaths per year. 

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.