Patient Dies From Rabies After Organ Transplant Tragedy

A Michigan resident tragically lost their life to rabies after receiving an organ transplant, marking a rare but devastating event in modern medicine.

The patient, who underwent the transplant at an Ohio hospital in December 2024, succumbed to the fatal virus in January 2025, as confirmed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The investigation uncovered that the infection was directly linked to the transplanted organ.

The confirmation of rabies came from the CDC Rabies Laboratory, and health officials, including those from Michigan and Ohio, alongside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), coordinated extensively to address the situation. "Health officials worked together to ensure that those who were in contact with the Michigan individual, including healthcare providers, were assessed for potential rabies exposure," MDHHS stated. Those at risk received post-exposure preventive care as needed.

In an effort to reassure the public, health authorities clarified, "There is no threat to the general public." However, details about the donor, who was not a resident of Michigan or Ohio, remain undisclosed.

While rigorous screening is standard for infectious diseases, cancers, and organ functionality before transplants, testing for rabies is not part of the routine. According to the National Institutes of Health, no country or institution currently mandates rabies screening for organ donors. This revelation is as unsettling as it is puzzling—considering rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear.

Sadly, this isn’t the first such incident. In 2013, four individuals in Maryland died after receiving organs from a rabies-infected donor. In 2004, a similar tragedy claimed three lives. These rare but catastrophic events highlight a glaring gap in the transplant screening process.

Rabies, a deadly viral disease, is primarily transmitted through bites or scratches from infected animals. It attacks the central nervous system, leading to severe symptoms such as anxiety, confusion, and hallucinations, eventually resulting in brain dysfunction. Without prompt medical intervention before symptoms appear, the disease is almost always fatal. Each year, about 60,000 people in the U.S. receive treatment after potential rabies exposure, but fewer than 10 deaths are reported annually.

In the U.S., bats are the most common source of rabies infections in humans, although raccoons, skunks, and foxes are also known carriers. This incident serves as a grim reminder of the need to revisit transplant protocols to prevent such tragic outcomes in the future.