Patient dies from rabies from transplanted organ

[tvguy]

Wow. Now they will have to test donated organs for rabies?

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/heal...S2HiFTe8naUGlrMQdg6yNonK6KGX9pH/za7iRuQAAAA==

 

[WDWDCLDLFAN]

Wow that is horrible! And so sad.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

That sounds horrific!

 

[LuvOrlando]

whaaaatttt the????

Rabies? People are collecting donors from the wilderness now? I'm imagining an unhoused person who died of the elements or mauled with bite marks, gruesome... what sort of situation causes a person to have been bitten by wild animals and not seek care and THEN get pooled into the organ donor group? Come on healthcare, you can do better than this for the $$$ charged

 

[LilyWDW]

This is one of those things that is so so so SO rare that there won't (and shouldn't) be changes to the process. Likely the donor was bit by an animal, may not have even realized there was any risk, and then died before any symptoms presented themselves. Also remember, Rabies can lay dormant for quite a long time so any animal bite could have been long forgotten by the patient/family by the time the donor passed away.

Rabies testing would take too long to run for every organ donor. Organ donation needs to happen fast. There is no time to sit around and wait as long as it would take.

 

[tvguy]

This is one of those things that is so so so SO rare that there won't (and shouldn't) be changes to the process. Likely the donor was bit by an animal, may not have even realized there was any risk, and then died before any symptoms presented themselves. Also remember, Rabies can lay dormant for quite a long time so any animal bite could have been long forgotten by the patient/family by the time the donor passed away.

Rabies testing would take too long to run for every organ donor. Organ donation needs to happen fast. There is no time to sit around and wait as long as it would take.

Actually know someone who needed a donor organ and twice got a call one had been found, only to find out when it was removed from the donor that it was not suitable. So nothing is certain, that is for sure.

 

[easyas123]

Rabies? People are collecting donors from the wilderness now? I'm imagining an unhoused person who died of the elements or mauled with bite marks, gruesome...

Oh course not, that's ridiculous. Also, rabies isn't only found in the 'wilderness'.

This is one of those things that is so so so SO rare that there won't (and shouldn't) be changes to the process. Likely the donor was bit by an animal, may not have even realized there was any risk, and then died before any symptoms presented themselves. Also remember, Rabies can lay dormant for quite a long time so any animal bite could have been long forgotten by the patient/family by the time the donor passed away.

Rabies testing would take too long to run for every organ donor. Organ donation needs to happen fast. There is no time to sit around and wait as long as it would take.

Exactly.

 

[NotUrsula]

whaaaatttt the????

Rabies? People are collecting donors from the wilderness now? I'm imagining an unhoused person who died of the elements or mauled with bite marks, gruesome... what sort of situation causes a person to have been bitten by wild animals and not seek care and THEN get pooled into the organ donor group? Come on healthcare, you can do better than this for the $$$ charged

The most common carriers of rabies in the US are raccoons. Plenty of them rummaging in suburban garbage cans in the wee hours. If you have a fresh scratch on your hand and you pick up garbage that an infected raccoon has recenbtly been chewing on, you can actually get it that way. Not really common, but it has been known to happen. All you need is for a rabid animal's saliva to get through a minor cut, and rabid animals drool constantly.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

Now they will have to test donated organs for rabies?

Can't test the organs anyways - only the brain. Which is why animals can't be tested for rabies either (well, not while they're alive).

 

[tvguy]

Can't test the organs anyways - only the brain. Which is why animals can't be tested for rabies either (well, not while they're alive).

Odds are the donor is deceased already. Possibly still alive is a kidney donor.

 

[Liz]

Odds are the donor is deceased already. Possibly still alive is a kidney donor.

Liver donors can be alive, as well.

 

[tvguy]

Liver donors can be alive, as well.

No if they donate their ENTIRE liver. But you are correct if they donate part of their liver.