Earlier this year, a series of tragic events resulted in a transplant-related rabies death.

Health officials announced Thursday that one organ recipient transplant surgery A patient in Ohio died of rabies in February. Further investigation revealed that the donor contracted the deadly virus after rescuing a kitten from a skunk.

The patient, who wishes to remain anonymous, is from michiganThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said she received a kidney from a donor in December 2024 and later developed severe symptoms that led to hospitalization and “invasive” surgery.

He reportedly developed fever, tremors, difficulty swallowing and fear of water, and died 51 days after the transplant.

Experts warn that ‘silent killer’ parasitic disease is spreading across US states

An Idaho man reportedly died of rabies after being scratched by a skunk. (iStock)

The donor was infected with a silver-haired bat rabies variant, and his donated tissue was donated to three other recipients, suggesting the skunks were infected by bats, the CDC said.

The organ donor from Idaho was scratched on his calf six weeks before his death while fending off a skunk that was displaying “predatory aggression,” records show.

“In late October 2024, a skunk approached the donor while he was holding a kitten in an outbuilding on his country estate,” the CDC said. “In an encounter that rendered the skunk unconscious, the skunk The donor’s calf was scratched There was blood, but he didn’t think he had been bitten. According to the family, the donor attributed the skunk’s behavior to predatory attacks on the kittens. “

Cases of flesh-eating parasite found in U.S. travelers returning from Central America

A donor reportedly died weeks after receiving a transplant in Ohio. (iStock)

Over the next five weeks, the donor began experiencing hallucinations, difficulty swallowing, difficulty walking and stiff neck, the agency said.

Two days later, he was found unresponsive at home with a suspected heart attack, according to health officials. He reportedly revived in hospital but was declared brain dead and taken off life support.

His organs were donated after his family documented an encounter with a skunk in a donor risk assessment, the CDC said. However, health officials note that the form does not screen for rabies, which they say is “rare in humans.”

“In the United States, family members of potential donors often provide information about donor risk factors for infectious diseases, including animal exposure,” the CDC said. “Rabies is excluded from routine donor pathogen testing because it is rare in humans. USA and the complexity of diagnostic testing. In this case, hospital staff treating the donor were initially unaware of the skunk scratch and attributed his preadmission signs and symptoms to chronic comorbidities. “

Three other patients received corneal tissue from the same infected donor, health officials added. The CDC reports that they all underwent graft resection, were treated for rabies, and remain asymptomatic.

Health officials also contacted 370 people who may have come into contact with the donor, according to the agency. 46 of them were advised to receive rabies treatment.

Organ transplant recipient dies of rabies after surgery

A Michigan man was scratched by a skunk while rescuing a kitten in his rural home. (Peter Bischoff)

The death of the kidney recipient marked the fourth documented case of rabies transmitted through an organ transplant in the United States since 1978, health officials said, stressing that the risk of such infection remains extremely low.

Transplant teams are now advised to consult with public health officials if a potential donor has been recently bitten or scratched by a rabies-susceptible animal, and especially if the donor is experiencing unexplained neurological symptoms.

Click here to download the Fox News app

However, the CDC states that “there are currently no standard guidelines to address donor animal exposures reported by transplant teams.”

According to the agency, approximately 1.4 million Americans are treated for possible rabies exposure each year, and fewer than 10 die from the disease due to effective prevention efforts.

Fox News Digital reached out to the CDC for more information.