Minnesota Man Contracts Rare Lassa Fever

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - A Minnesota man has contracted a rare illness after a trip to West Africa.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, the man flew back to Minneapolis-St. Paul on March 31 and the same day was admitted to a hospital with fever and confusion.

A blood sample sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention proved he has Lassa Fever, a viral disease common in West Africa but rarely seen in the United States. The last case was in 2010 and was travel-related.

Rodents carry the virus, which can be transmitted to humans through their urine or droppings. It's sometimes transmitted between people through contact with a sick person's bodily fluids.

It's not transmitted through casual contact. The general public isn't at risk. The man is in stable condition.