The death of a man after receiving a kidney infected with the rabies virus has raised the global medical alert. The disease, which is almost always transmitted by animal bites, can, in very rare situations, be transmitted from human to human – and this mainly happens during contaminated organ transplants.
The most recent case was investigated by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which confirmed that the transplant recipient was infected directly through the donated organ.
Rabies is a viral infection that is almost always fatal when symptoms appear. The virus usually enters the body through the saliva of infected animals, such as dogs, bats or raccoons.
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However, studies show that, although exceptional, transmission by transplantation has already been recorded several times. A scientific journal published in 2018 identified at least 13 confirmed cases between 1978 and 2017, all linked to contaminated organs or tissues.
In the recent case, the man received a kidney in December 2024. The donor had died shortly before, and during screening there were no clear signs of infection. It was later discovered that he had been scratched by a raccoon, a detail that had not been treated as a risk during the initial assessment.
According to the CDC, approximately 51 days after the transplant, the recipient began experiencing severe neurological symptoms and died. Subsequent testing identified rabies virus RNA in the transplanted kidney itself, confirming transmission.
Three other people also received tissue from the same donor – in this case corneas. To prevent possible infection, doctors removed these grafts and administered post-exposure prophylaxis, a treatment used when a person may have been exposed to the virus.
None of these people developed symptoms. This episode joined the list of rare transplant-transmitted rabies events in the United States, the fourth recorded since 1978.
The big difficulty is that rabies is so rare in humans that the virus is not usually part of standard donor screening. Additionally, the incubation period – the time between contagion and the appearance of symptoms – can vary from a few days to more than a year, making it even more difficult to predict risk.
Therefore, experts emphasize that details such as recent exposure to wild animals, scratches and neurological signs should be taken seriously before releasing organs for transplantation.
When it is suspected that a recipient may have been exposed to the virus, it is advisable to act quickly: remove transplanted tissue when possible, initiate post-exposure prophylaxis, and expand the epidemiological investigation. The recommendation also applies to health services that deal directly with donors.
Simple questions during screening – such as recent contact with bats or other wildlife – can be decisive in preventing tragedies.
This recent case reinforces a critical lesson: transplants save lives every day, but they depend on strict protocols to ensure safety.
Although extremely rare, the transmission of rabies via organ donations is real. And since it is a disease that is almost 100% fatal after the onset of symptoms, all care is essential.
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