Patient dies from rabies after organ transplant from infected donor
A Michigan resident has died of rabies after receiving an organ transplant.
The patient, who received the transplant at an Ohio hospital in December 2024, died of the fatal virus in January 2025, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) confirmed to Fox News Digital.
"The person was a recent organ transplant recipient, and a public health investigation determined they contracted rabies through the transplanted organ," the spokesperson said.
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The rabies confirmation was made by the CDC Rabies Laboratory.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has worked closely with the Ohio Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the investigation, the same source stated.
"Health officials worked together to ensure that people, including healthcare providers, who were in contact with the Michigan individual were assessed for possible exposure to rabies," the MDHHS stated. "Post-exposure preventive care, if appropriate, has been provided."
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"There is no threat to the general public."
The organ donor was not a Michigan or Ohio resident, according to health officials. No additional information has been provided about the resident or the donor.
While organs are routinely screened for infectious diseases, cancers, quality and functionality prior to transplant, rabies testing is not typically performed.
"There is currently no country or institution that requires the screening of rabies among donors before organ transplantation surgery," according to information published by the National Institutes of Health.
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In 2013, the CDC confirmed the death of four people in Maryland who contracted rabies after receiving organs from the same donor.
In 2004, the agency reported the rabies deaths of three people who received organs from a common infected donor.
Rabies is a deadly viral disease that is mainly transmitted to people and pets through bites or scratches from an infected animal, according to the CDC.
The virus affects the central nervous system, ultimately causing brain dysfunction. The infected person may experience anxiety, confusion, agitation and hallucinations, per the health agency.
Rabies is almost always fatal if the infected person does not receive medical attention before symptoms begin.
Around 60,000 people in the U.S. receive medical care after being exposed to rabies, the CDC stated. Fewer than 10 deaths are reported in the country each year.
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Most Americans who contract rabies are infected by bats. Other animals that commonly carry rabies include raccoons, skunks and foxes.