![Consultant Surgeon Andrew Ready and his team conducts] a live donor kidney transplant at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham on June 9, 2006, in Birmingham, England. Kidney failure patient Carol Playfair was given the chance of life when her sister Tracey Playfair offered one of her own perfect kidneys to help save the life of Carol. The operation at The QE Hospital, part of The University Hospital's Trust was one of 1500 live donor transplants carried out in the United Kingdon every year. Despite the introduction of Donor Cards, there are still too few kidneys available to help all those who require a transplant, thereby producing a waiting list and the only chance of survival is by live donor. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)](https://www.constitutionpatriots.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Patient-Dies-After-Being-‘Infected-With-Rabies-Following-Organ-Transplant.webp.webp)
OAN Staff Abril Elfi
12:12 PM – Thursday, March 27, 2025
A Michigan resident has died after undergoing an organ transplant that was reportedly contaminated with the deadly rabies virus — being transmitted through the donated organ.
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The patient underwent the transplant at an Ohio hospital in December and they died in January, according to the agency. However, the statement did not include details regarding the recipient’s identity or the type of organ they received.
On Wednesday, Lynn Sutfin, a spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), announced that the Michigan resident died after having been infected with rabies from the new organ.
“A public health investigation determined they contracted rabies through the transplanted organ,” Sutfin said.
According to the report, the contributor of the donated organ did not live in Michigan or Ohio.
Sutfin stated that the Michigan and Ohio health agencies, as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “worked closely” on the patient’s death inquiry. The CDC Rabies Laboratory confirmed the diagnosis as well.
“Health officials worked together to ensure that people, including health care providers, who were in contact with the Michigan individual were assessed for possible exposure to rabies,” the statement added. “Post exposure preventive care, if appropriate, has been provided.”
The time between exposure to the virus and the onset of symptoms, known as the incubation period, can range greatly from a few days to several years.
However, rabies is nearly always fatal, once symptoms start to show. Typically, death occurs seven to fourteen days after symptoms appear — but more rarely, people can still live for a few months, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
According to health experts, rabies can spread to humans if they come into contact with saliva or blood from infected animals, such as bats, raccoons, skunks or stray dogs. It is not always clear right away that a person has contracted rabies, as the initial symptoms are similar to those of the flu — including fever, headache and nausea.
As the illness progresses, patients then experience difficulty swallowing, excessive salivation and even hallucinations.
Even though organs are routinely screened for infectious diseases, cancers, and overall 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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