Dec 17, 2025
3 min read
The CDC says an Idaho man who donated an organ contracted meningitis before he died.Doctors do not know the disease.
A Michigan man received a new kidney, then died of rabies.What happened
A Michigan man who received a kidney transplant in late 2024 died weeks later from rabies transmitted by the donor's organ, the Centers for Disease Control said in a report released this month.
"(The detection of the disease in an unexposed kidney donor led to a public health investigation in which the kidney donor had undiagnosed rabies, identified other organs and tissues, and confirmed human exposure to rabies," the CDC said in its Dec. 4Morbidity and Mortality Report).
The CDC reported that there have been only four rabies infections in the United States since 1978, the CDC reported.The previous case resulted in 13 infections and 7 deaths.Rabies is almost always fatal without immediate treatment.
A transplant recipient from Michigan died in late January 2025. After his death, an investigation discovered a kidney biopsy sample in which the CDC detected rabies virus RNA consistent with the silver-haired bat rabies virus variant.
In later interviews with the donor's family, investigators discovered that the man had been bitten by a skunk weeks before his death while protecting a kitten, and had shown signs of pneumonia before his death.The CDC believes the bat bit the skunk, which then bit the donor.
In addition to the kidney recipients, three people from California, Idaho and New Mexico received corneal transplants in December 2024 and January 2025, respectively, the CDC said.All three recipients had their devices removed after the Michigan man was diagnosed with rabies and received treatment.No one got rabies.
A Missouri patient's planned fourth corneal transplant was canceled.
The CDC said that tests have found rabies virus RNA consistent with a different type of fluffy bat virus in one of the cornea grafts.
In addition, 370 healthcare workers and others exposed to the kidney donor or recipient were interviewed, and 46 received rabies treatment as a precaution, the CDC said.
The CDC said no other donor organs were transplanted, but some tissues and organs were used in training in Maryland, although none remained for testing pending disclosure.
Here's what we know.
When will the person who receives the kidney die?
The kidney donor died around December 12, 2024, according to the CDC, and his organs were removed and transplanted around December 13.
The recipient began showing symptoms in mid-January and died at the end of the month.The recipient was found to have viral RNA in saliva, skin and brain tissue samples.
How did the donor get rabies?
The donor is an Idaho resident.Interviews with the donor's family after the transplant death revealed information not previously published, the CDC said.
in 2024at the end of October, the donor was approached by a skunk who kept a kitten in a farm building in his neighborhood.During the skunk attack, the donor scratched his bottom, which bled, but did not think he had been bitten.According to the family, the donor said the skunk's behavior was caused by aggression toward the kitten, the CDC said.
About five weeks later, in December 2024, the donor became confused, had trouble swallowing and walking, experienced hallucinations, and had a stiff neck, the CDC reported.Two days later, he was found unresponsive at home after suffering a heart attack.He was resuscitated and hospitalized, but never regained consciousness.He was declared brain dead and removed from life support.two bodies
Why didn't the donor suffer from panic attacks?
Rabies is excluded from routine donor pathogen testing in the United States because of its rarity in humans and the complexity of diagnostic tests, the CDC said.
In the United States, family members of potential donors often provide information about the donor's risk factors for infectious diseases, including exposure to animals.In this case, the hospital staff treating the donor was initially unaware of skull scratching, the CDC said.
Where did the transplant take place?
The CDC said the transplants took place at a hospital in Ohio, but did not identify the facility in the report.
Has anyone else contracted the infected organism?
No other organs were transplanted, but four corneal grafts were created, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Three patients, one each in California, Idaho and New Mexico, received transplants in December 2024 and January 2025. The cornea recipients underwent extensive transplantation and treatment for rabies.A planned fourth corneal transplant was canceled for a Missouri patient.
The donor's heart and lungs were not transplanted but were used in clinical trials at a medical research facility in Maryland.
What symptoms did the kidney recipient experience?
According to the CDC, recipients experienced tremors, leg weakness, confusion, and urinary incontinence. Seven days after the onset of symptoms, the patient was hospitalized for fever, phobias, dysphagia, and autonomic dysfunction.
What are the symptoms of rabies?
The first symptoms of rabies can be similar to those of the flu and can last for several days, the Mayo Clinic warns.
Later signs and symptoms may include:
- Difficulty swallowing
- Excessive salivation
- Fear caused by trying to drink water due to difficulty swallowing water
- Fear of being carried away by air blowing in the face
- Partial paralysis
What animals get rabies?
Rabies is most often found in bats, raccoons, cocks, and foxes, but any mammal can be infected.Pets and people can be protected by vaccination.People usually get the vaccine after exposure, but people in high-risk situations can get it before exposure.
