A man passed away from rabies following a kidney transplant from a donor who likely got infected after being scratched by a skunk. This rare transmission chain was documented in a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), marking only the fourth case of transplant-related rabies in the U.S. in 50 years. The transplant took place in an Ohio hospital in December 2024.
The patient exhibited symptoms like tremors, weakness, and confusion five weeks after the surgery, leading to his hospitalization. Despite efforts, his condition deteriorated rapidly, ultimately resulting in his death.
Investigations revealed the presence of the rabies virus in the patient’s saliva and brain tissue. His family mentioned no animal contact, prompting a closer look at the organ donor. The donor, from Idaho, had succumbed to rabies five weeks after a skunk scratch on his property.
Although initial screenings didn’t detect rabies in the donor, subsequent tests on kidney samples revealed a strain of the virus. The CDC determined that the donor had died from rabies, which was transmitted through the transplanted kidney, creating a complex transmission chain involving a bat, a skunk, the donor, and the recipient.
This incident, while rare due to the low incidence of rabies in the U.S., underscores the importance of thorough donor assessments. Other tissues from the donor were traced, leading to precautionary measures for cornea graft recipients. Fortunately, all three remained asymptomatic after receiving treatment.
Dr. Lara Danziger-Isakov from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Centre emphasized the rarity of such events, stressing the minimal overall risk associated with transplant-transmitted infections like rabies.