Lassa fever kills an Iowa resident. Here's what to know about the rare virus and its symptoms.

A middle-aged Iowa resident who recently traveled to West Africa has died from Lassa fever, state health officials confirmed Monday.

"I want to assure Iowans that the risk of transmission is incredibly low in our state," Dr. Robert Kruse, state medical director of the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, said in a news release. "We continue to investigate and monitor this situation and are implementing the necessary public health protocols."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local public health partners are working to identify anyone "who may have been in close contact with the patient, out of an abundance of caution, for monitoring," the release added.