Michigan man dies of rabies after receiving kidney from infected donor who saved kitten from skunk: CDC

A tragic bid of events led to a fatal lawsuit of transplant-associated rabies earlier this year.

Health officials announced past Thursday that an organ recipient who underwent transplant country successful Ohio died of rabies successful February. Further probe revealed that the donor had go infected with the fatal microorganism aft redeeming a kitten from a skunk. 

The unnamed patient, from Michigan, received the donor’s kidney successful December 2024, and aboriginal developed terrible symptoms that prompted hospitalization and "invasive" procedures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.

He reportedly experienced fever, tremors, trouble swallowing and fearfulness of water, and died 51 days aft the transplant.

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An Idaho antheral reportedly died from rabies aft getting scratched by a skunk. (iStock)

The CDC said that the donor — whose donated insubstantial went to 3 different recipients — was infected with the silver-haired bat variant of rabies, suggesting the skunk had been infected by a bat.

Records revealed that the organ donor, from Idaho, was scratched connected the shin portion fending disconnected a skunk that displayed "predatory aggression" six weeks earlier his death.  

"In precocious October 2024, a skunk approached the donor arsenic helium held a kitten successful an outbuilding connected his agrarian property," the CDC said. "During an brushwood that rendered the skunk unconscious, the donor sustained a shin scratch that bled, but helium did not deliberation helium had been bitten. According to the family, the donor attributed the skunk’s behaviour to predatory aggression toward the kitten."

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A donor recipient reportedly died respective weeks aft a transplant cognition successful Ohio. (iStock)

In the pursuing 5 weeks, the donor began experiencing hallucinations, occupation swallowing, trouble walking and a stiff neck, the bureau said. 

Two days later, helium was discovered unresponsive astatine location aft a suspected bosom attack, according to wellness officials. He was reportedly revived astatine the hospital, but was yet declared brain-dead and removed from beingness support.  

The CDC said his organs were donated aft the household documented the skunk brushwood successful a donor-risk assessment. However, wellness officials noted that the signifier did not surface for rabies, citing its "rarity successful humans."

"In the United States, imaginable donors’ household members often supply accusation astir a donor’s infectious illness hazard factors, including carnal exposures," the CDC said. "Rabies is excluded from regular donor pathogen investigating due to the fact that of its rarity successful humans successful the United States and the complexity of diagnostic testing. In this case, infirmary unit members who treated the donor were initially unaware of the skunk scratch and attributed his pre-admission signs and symptoms to chronic comorbidities."

Health officials added that 3 different patients received corneal insubstantial from the aforesaid infected donor. They all underwent graft removal, received rabies attraction and remained asymptomatic, the CDC reported.

Health officials besides reached retired to 370 radical who could person been successful interaction with the donor, according to the agency. Forty-six of them were recommended to acquisition rabies procedures. 

ORGAN TRANSPLANT RECIPIENT DIES OF RABIES AFTER SURGERY

A Michigan antheral was scratched by a skunk portion redeeming a kitten connected his agrarian property. (Peter Bischoff)

Health officials said the kidney recipient’s decease marks the 4th documented lawsuit of rabies transmission done an organ transplant successful the U.S. since 1978, emphasizing that the hazard of specified infections remains highly low.

Transplant teams are present advised to consult nationalist wellness officials if a imaginable donor has caller bites oregon scratches from rabies-susceptible animals, particularly if the donor has had unexplained neurological symptoms.

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However, "no modular guidance presently exists for addressing reported donor carnal exposures by transplant teams," the CDC said. 

About 1.4 cardinal Americans person attraction for imaginable rabies vulnerability annually, and less than 10 dice from the illness owed to effectual prevention efforts, according to the agency.

Fox News Digital reached retired to the CDC for much information.