Michigan residents have died of rabies, contracted from organs they donated to, state health officials said Thursday.
The unidentified patient died in January after a month of transplantation at an Ohio hospital, a spokesman for Michigan's Department of Health and Human Services.
“Public health investigations have determined that he has contracted rabies through the transplanted organ,” Sutfin said in a statement.
Health officials have not identified recipients or have not said they have received what type of organ transplant.
Both Michigan and Ohio health departments have “worked closely together” with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on investigating patient deaths, Satofin told the outlet. The diagnosis was also confirmed by the CDC's Rabies Institute.
“Health officials worked together to ensure that people, including healthcare providers who were in contact with individuals in Michigan, were assessed for possible exposure to rabies,” Sutfin said in a statement. “Post-exposure preventive care is provided when necessary.”
The patient was taken care of in Lucas County, Ohio.
Multi-state public health surveys showed no risk to the public.
