Lassa fever American health worker dies in Cologne

Cologne · An American health care worker in Togo was evacuated to Cologne and died one day later from Lassa fever. Officials do not see a danger for the public.

An American man who was a health care worker in Togo died in Cologne of Lassa Fever. He had taken ill in Togo and was flown to Cologne on February 26 for medical treatment. According to the University Clinic in Cologne, the 46-year-old man, had been diagnosed with malaria when he was evacuated from Africa.

Lassa fever, like Ebola and Dengue fever is an acute hemorrhagic fever. University Clinic spokesperson Timo Mügge said the American patient died the day after he arrived in Cologne. It was first diagnosed after his death that he had suffered from Lassa fever.

Lassa virus can cause high fever, head and muscle ache, bleeding from the skin, vomiting and diarrhea. According to the Robert-Koch-Institute, affected persons must be strictly isolated. Professor Jonas Schmidt-Chanasit of the Bernard-Nocht-Institute says the virus is transmitted through contact with bodily secretions such as vomit and diarrhea, and especially blood. He says the virus is not an airborne transmitted virus.

Health authorities say the proper precautions were taken to keep the virus from spreading when the man was transferred from Africa to Germany. Apparently, the man’s family had been doing missionary work in Togo. 33 workers from the University Clinic and twelve health authorities who have had contact with him are being quarantined at home and are under medical supervision. Officials do not see a health danger to the public.

(Orig. text: dpa)

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