Man Dies of Rabies after Receiving Infected Kidney Transplant
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U.S. health officials say a Michigan man has died after contracting rabies from a transplanted kidney, according to an announcement Thursday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The case is the 10th documented instance since 1978 in which an organ or tissue recipient in the United States became infected with rabies from a donor.
The patient received a left kidney in December 2024 from a donor based in Idaho, with the transplant performed at an Ohio hospital. About five weeks later, he began experiencing concerning symptoms, including confusion, weakness and incontinence. Within a week, his condition worsened and he was admitted to the hospital with fever, difficulty swallowing, neurological issues and hydrophobia—an aversion to water that is a hallmark sign of advanced rabies infection. He died 51 days after the transplant.
Investigators later determined that the donor had unknowingly contracted rabies after being scratched by a skunk while handling a kitten. Although his death had initially been presumed to be caused by cardiac arrest, follow-up testing revealed rabies as the true cause. Evidence suggests the skunk had previously been infected by a bat.
The CDC noted that other tissues from the donor pose no ongoing risk: corneal tissue was either removed from recipients who have since shown no symptoms or was never implanted, and no other organs were used. Health authorities identified 349 healthcare workers and 18 community members who may have been exposed to the virus through contact with either the donor or the kidney recipient. Roughly 13 percent of them were advised to undergo preventive treatment.
Although transplant donors are screened for many infectious diseases, routine rabies testing is not standard practice. The CDC emphasized that rabies transmission through organ donation remains rare, but urged donor families and medical providers to alert public health officials if they suspect any potential exposure to the virus.
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