LUCAS COUNTY — A person died from rabies after receiving a transplanted organ in Lucas County earlier this year.
The recipient, who had undergone a kidney transplant in December, contracted the viral disease through the donated organ, according to the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department, WTOL reported.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
As the recipient was from Michigan, Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services worked with the Ohio Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate the case.
TRENDING STORIES:
- 1 hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after shooting near Family Dollar
- 1 shot in the face at Dayton gas station, police say
- Five Seasons Sports Club to close Miami Valley location
It marks the first human case of rabies in Michigan since 2009, according to WTOL.
No additional individuals are at risk of rabies exposure, according to the CDC.
Kara Steele, a representative from Life Connection of Ohio, could not comment on the specific case but explained to WTOL that a donor risk assessment interview is conducted before any organ donation.
The identities of both the recipient and the donor have not been released.
The facility where the transplant took place has also not been disclosed. However, according to the University of Toledo Medical Center’s website, it is the only organ transplant center in northwest Ohio.
Fewer than 10 people in the United States die from rabies each year, according to the CDC.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
