In January, a Michigan resident died from rabies after receiving a kidney transplant at a hospital in Toledo, Ohio. The same donor also provided four corneal grafts. One was intercepted before it was implanted. The other three corneal graft recipients have been treated for rabies and are currently healthy.

Public health officials from Ohio, Michigan, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) worked together to investigate the death. The CDC’s Rabies Laboratory confirmed the patient had rabies.

Authorities have not disclosed names of the donor or the patients. However, sources confirmed that the donor did not live in Ohio or Michigan. Because the kidney recipient was a Michigan resident, the case is being treated as a Michigan rabies case. However, the patient received the transplant and died in Toledo, Ohio.

The donor did not show traditional symptoms of rabies, so the infection was not diagnosed until the recipient's illness was discovered. Public health officials later determined the donor was exposed to a wild animal — likely a skunk — in Idaho five weeks before death.

The CDC has notified close contacts of the donor and the kidney recipient, and people at risk for contracting rabies have been advised to start rabies treatment. According to the Ohio Health Department, healthcare workers who may have been exposed have been offered rabies shots.

Authorities have advised that there is no threat to the public and that fewer than 10 people in the United States die from rabies each year. Nonetheless, the disease remains a serious public health concern and people can die from the disease if it is not treated immediately.

How Many People Die from Rabies Every Year?

Worldwide, an estimated 59,000 people die from rabies every year. Most of these occur in Asia and Africa as a result of being bitten by infected dogs.

In the United States, rabies deaths are rare and result in fewer than 10 deaths every year.

Rabies is 100% preventable through proper vaccination and post-exposure treatment.

What Are Common Signs and Symptoms of Rabies?

Rabies is commonly spread through the blood or saliva of an infected animal like bats, raccoons, foxes, or stray dogs. Early signs of rabies include flu-like symptoms such as fever and nausea. As the disease progresses, common symptoms include difficulty swallowing, drooling, or hallucination. Rabies can be deadly if it is not treated immediately.

While humans rarely contract rabies, 3 in 4 people in Ohio live in an area where raccoons, skunks, or foxes carry the disease.

Is Rabies Fatal?

If a person does not seek medical treatment immediately after being scratched or bitten by an infected animal, rabies is fatal. Before 1960, hundreds of people died every year from rabies. Today, fewer than 10 people in the United States die from rabies every year.

How Many Organ Transplants Are Performed Each Year?

Worldwide, more than 150,000 organ transplants are performed every year. In the United States, more than 42,000 people receive organ transplants. Kidneys are the most common organ transplant, followed by livers, hearts, and lungs.

Organ transplants in the United States are regulated by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), which works with Organ Procurement Organizations (OPOs) to match donated organs with potential recipients.

How Common Is It to Be Infected with Rabies from a Transplant?

Organ donors are screened for many diseases, but rabies is not usually one of them. The testing takes too long, and a rabies infection is rare.

However, this is not the first time rabies has been spread through organ donation. In 2013, a kidney transplant patient in Florida died after receiving an organ from a donor who was later found to have rabies. In 2004, three people in Arkansas died after receiving organs from a rabies-infected donor.

Contact Robenalt Law Today

If you are an organ transplant recipient and are concerned you received an infected organ, contact Robenalt Law today to speak to our medical malpractice attorneys. Call our Cleveland office at (216) 223-7535 or our Columbus office at (614) 695-3800 or contact us online to schedule a free, confidential, no-obligation appointment to discuss your situation and how we can help.