Rabid organ transplant kills Maryland man

Jodell88

Diamond Member
Jan 29, 2007
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A man in the US state of Maryland has died of rabies, which he contracted from an infected kidney transplant more than a year ago, health officials say.

The early March death has led officials to treat three other patients who received organs from the same donor.
The donor died of raccoon rabies in Florida in 2011 after moving there from North Carolina.


The recipients of the donor's heart, liver and other kidney are receiving anti-rabies vaccines, the CDC said in a news release on Friday. They live in Illinois, Georgia and Florida.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-21807466

The donor died of rabies but they transplanted the organs thinking it wouldn't infect the recipients? o_O :\ :hmm:

Potential lawsuit?
 
Jun 18, 2000
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Scarpozzi

Lifer
Jun 13, 2000
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Did you actually read the article or just skim it? They didn't know the donor had it originally.
But he died in Florida. They should have ASSUMED he died of rabies.

I've been to Florida...I think rabies is the number two killer there...next to sinkholes, of course.
 

etrigan420

Golden Member
Oct 30, 2007
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But he died in Florida. They should have ASSUMED he died of rabies.

I've been to Florida...I think rabies is the number two killer there...next to sinkholes, of course.

With overzealous neighborhood watchmen coming in a close third.
 
Feb 6, 2007
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OK I admit I'm not a doctor, but wouldn't you test an organ for practically EVERYTHING before giving it to someone else?

I wouldn't think so. The tests are expensive and time consuming, and an organ is generally something that people need in fairly short order. If there's no reason to suspect the person had rabies, why would they test for it? This has happened how many times ever? It's a very minor risk.
 

Anonemous

Diamond Member
May 19, 2003
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huh the other organ transplant patients survived. I didn't know rabies could lie dormant for 1 year...
 

Mr. Pedantic

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Feb 14, 2010
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huh the other organ transplant patients survived. I didn't know rabies could lie dormant for 1 year...

I think there's been a case report of someone incubating rabies for several decades, but I thought that nerves were the only reservoir in the body.