A patient has died after a third case of Lassa fever has been confirmed in the UK, health officials say.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the person had died in Bedfordshire, following the discovery of two cases of the Ebola-like virus in the east of England on Wednesday.
The UKHSA said: “We are contacting the individuals who have had close contact with the cases prior to confirmation of their infection, to provide appropriate assessment, support and advice. The risk to the general public remains very low.
A Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: “We confirm the sad death of a patient at our trust, who had confirmed Lassa fever. We send our deepest condolences to their family at this difficult time.”
Prior to these cases, there have been eight cases of Lassa fever imported to the UK since 1980.
The last two cases occurred in 2009. There was no evidence of onward transmission from any of these cases, said the government.