Transplant patient dies after contracting rabies through new organ
A patient from Michigan who received a transplant in December died after contracting rabies through the new organ.
NBC News reported on March 26 that the patient received the organ at a hospital in Ohio in December and then died in January.
Lynn Sutfin, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services, in a statement confirmed that the patient contracted rabies through the transplanted organ.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Rabies Laboratory confirmed the diagnosis.
Sutfin didn't provide information about the recipient's identity or the type of organ that was transplanted.
The donor was also not a resident of Michigan or Ohio.
Suftin said the two city health departments "worked closely" together alongside the CDC during the investigation.
"Health officials worked together to ensure that people, including health care providers, who were in contact with the Michigan individual were assessed for possible exposure to rabies," she said. "Post exposure preventive care, if appropriate, has been provided."
According to Mayo Clinic, rabies is a deadly virus spread to people from the saliva of infected animals, usually transmitted through a bite.
Animals most likely to transmit rabies include bats, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, and skunks. In developing countries, stray dogs are the most likely to spread rabies to people.
The first symptoms are similar to those of the flu and may last for days. These include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, agitation, anxiety, confusion, hyperactivity, difficulty swallowing, excessive salivation, fear brought on by attempts to drink fluids, fear brought on by air blown on the face, hallucination, insomnia, and partial paralysis.
The health information website also stated that once a person begins showing rabies symptoms, they must get vaccinated immediately as the disease tends to be fatal.
In the United States, potential organ donors are screened for viruses, bacteria, and other infections, though rabies isn't usually included in the tests because it is rare in people.
