CDC: kidney Transplant Recipent Died Of Rabies

Rabies could have been passed through Organ Transplant

A Maryland man who died after contracting rabies could have received the disease in an infected organ donated to him 16 months ago. The Centers for Disease Control are currently investigating the possible passage of the disease through an infected organ after discovering the same strain of rabies in tissue from both the organ donor and recipient.

Three other people who received organs from the same donor are being treated with anti-rabies medications as a precautionary measure.

The first known case of rabies passing through infected organs recorded in the U.S. took place in 2004 following the donation of organs from a deceased person in Texas. Despite showing some symptoms of a possible rabies infection the time taken to diagnose the disease would not allow organs to still be viable for transplantation.

Experts at the CDC are unsure if the disease was passed through the transplanted organs because of the long incubation period of 16 months since the transplant took place; in most cases rabies incubates for a period of only one to three months.

On The Web:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/man-dies-contracting-rabies-tainted-kidney-organ-donation/story?id=18738264