A man in Michigan developed rabies and subsequently died after receiving a kidney transplant from a donor who was infected. This incident occurred while the man was reportedly trying to rescue a kitten that had been attacked by a rabid animal, according to health officials.
The transplant took place in December 2024, with the donor coming from Idaho and the procedure conducted in Ohio. About five weeks post-surgery, the recipient experienced severe symptoms, including fever, tremors, weakness, confusion, difficulties swallowing, hydrophobia, and loss of bladder control. This series of alarming symptoms led him to seek medical attention, but despite a week of treatment, he died. A post-mortem examination later revealed the cause of death, which was detailed in a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“This is an extremely rare occurrence,” remarked Dr. Lara Dazinger-Isakov, who specializes in infectious diseases at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, in an interview with the New York Times.
“Overall, the risk is quite minimal,” she added.
The background discovery regarding the donor was unsettling. In October 2024, the donor’s family had reported an incident where a skunk attacked them while they were trying to protect a kitten on their property. The family member was scratched during this altercation.
Incredibly, just weeks later, the donor began exhibiting serious symptoms, including hallucinations and difficulty with basic tasks like swallowing and walking. Two days after that, he was found unresponsive at home, having possibly suffered a heart attack. Although doctors managed to revive him briefly, he was declared brain dead within a week and subsequently removed from life support. His organs, including the kidney that ultimately led to the Michigan man’s illness, were donated following the family’s mention of the skunk scratch.
Three people received corneas from the donor, while the infected kidney was transplanted to the Michigan recipient. The graft was quickly removed, and the remaining patients received preventive medications.
The CDC noted that organ donations aren’t routinely screened for rabies because instances of transmission between humans are quite rare. Health officials indicated that staff at the hospital treating the donor hadn’t initially recognized the significance of the skunk scratch, attributing his symptoms to existing health issues.
This event marks the fourth known case of rabies transmission through organ donation in the U.S. since 1978. Health officials emphasized that the risk of such infections remains very low. Interestingly, while rabies results in fewer than ten human fatalities per year, over 3,500 animals typically test positive for the virus each year.
