27.03.2025 17:31
In the United States, a person has died from rabies contracted through an organ transplant. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services stated that the patient contracted rabies through the transplanted organ. While the identity of the patient and details of the transplanted organ have been kept confidential, all individuals who came into contact with the patient have been assessed for rabies risk. The health investigation determined that there is no risk of transmission to the community.
Health officials in the United States have announced that a person has died from rabies as a result of an organ transplant.
According to a statement made to The Post on Thursday by Lynn Sutfin, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the unidentified patient died in January. The patient passed away about a month after receiving an organ transplant at a hospital in Ohio.
"The health investigation has definitively shown that the patient contracted rabies through the transplanted organ," Sutfin said.
Officials did not disclose the patient's identity or which organ was transplanted. The Michigan and Ohio health departments investigated the case in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC's Rabies Laboratory also confirmed the diagnosis.
Health officials assessed all individuals who had contact with the patient, particularly healthcare workers, for rabies risk. Post-exposure prophylaxis was administered where deemed necessary.
The patient had received treatment at a healthcare facility in Lucas County, Ohio, and had died there.
A health investigation conducted across multiple states determined that there was no risk of transmission to the community.