Michigan Man Dies Of Rabies After Receiving Infected Kidney Transplant

A Michigan man died from rabies in January 2024 after receiving a kidney from an infected donor, according to a new CDC report. The donor contracted rabies in November 2024 when a skunk scratched his shin while he held a kitten outside his Idaho home. “During an encounter that rendered the skunk unconscious, the donor sustained a shin scratch that bled, but he did not think he had been bitten,” the CDC stated. Five weeks later, the donor developed “confusion,” “hallucinations” and “difficulty swallowing and walking” before dying from “presumed cardiac arrest.” The kidney recipient experienced “tremors, lower extremity weakness, confusion, and urinary incontinence” five weeks post-transplant and died within two weeks. Organ donations typically aren’t tested for rabies due to its rarity. The donor’s corneas were also transplanted to patients across multiple states. (Story URL)