A Michigan man has died after contracting rabies from a kidney transplant, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in a Dec. 4 public health summary. The recipient, who underwent the transplant in December 2024, developed neurological symptoms about five weeks later and died seven days after hospitalisation in early 2025. This marks only the fourth known instance of rabies transmission via organ transplantation in the United States. 

 

The organ donor was an adult male from Idaho who had been scratched by a skunk in October 2024. Approximately six weeks after the animal encounter, he developed confusion and neurological symptoms, was hospitalised, and ultimately declared brain dead in early December. His organs, including a left kidney and corneas, were recovered for transplant before his rabies infection was recognised. 

 

After the Michigan recipient began to show tremors, weakness, confusion and urinary incontinence about five weeks post-transplant, clinicians noted fever, hydrophobia and difficulty swallowing, symptoms consistent with rabies, and alerted health authorities. Subsequent testing by CDC confirmed rabies virus infection originating from the transplanted kidney. 

 

Public health teams traced dozens of potential exposures connected to both the donor and recipient, advising 46 out of 357 assessed contacts to receive post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). Three other patients who received corneal grafts from the same donor underwent graft removal and PEP, and none developed rabies. 

 

Experts note that rabies in organ donors is extremely rare and not routinely screened for, but this case highlights gaps in donor risk assessment, especially when there is known wildlife exposure. The CDC suggests that transplant teams consult public health officials when donors have a history of potential rabies exposure to determine testing needs and prevent transmission. 

 

Key Takeaways

 

• A Michigan kidney transplant recipient died of rabies traced to an infected donor kidney. 

 

• The donor had a known skunk scratch and developed neurological symptoms before organ donation. 

 

• Three other cornea recipients received PEP and remain asymptomatic. 

 

Adapted From 

 

https://www.sciencealert.com/us-man-dies-from-rabies-after-receiving-infected-kidney

17 minutes ago, Bacon1 said:

Approximately six weeks after the animal encounter, he developed confusion and neurological symptoms, was hospitalised, and ultimately declared brain dead in early December.

Strange that with this illness his organs were allowed to be transplanted.

Zoonotic infections will be on the uptick when more pig parts are transplanted into humans.

 

Zoonotic diseases will increase as we continue to encroach upon land inhabited by wildlife.

 

Zoonotic diseases can cause havoc to the world economy, which is even worse than having a single individual die from one.

 

Rabies is a viral disease . It is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals, usually via bites or scratches.

Yet they can't detect it with a simple test ?