In Michigan, a patient has succumbed to rabies, marking it as the state’s first reported case in 16 years. The infection was due to an organ transplant.
The individual, a Michigan resident, had undergone an organ transplant in Ohio in December 2024, and unfortunately passed away the following January, officials have stated.
The organ donor was not from Michigan or Ohio, but the recipient was under the care of Lucas County at the time of the transplant.
Since the deceased was a Michigan resident, state authorities are considering it a Michigan rabies case, rather than associating it with Ohio.
Lucas County, where Toledo is located, lies just south of the Michigan-Ohio border.
A collaborative investigation by the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) was initiated to explore the cause of death and assess any potential threat to the public.
On Wednesday, March 26, the involved agencies confirmed the patient’s death was due to rabies, according to CBS News.
Lynn Sutfin, spokesperson for the MDHHS, stated: “The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services worked closely with the Ohio Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the investigation. The CDC Rabies Laboratory made the rabies confirmation,” as reported by WXYZ.
Medical staff and other professionals who may have had contact with the individual are under surveillance.
Sutfin added: “Health officials worked together to ensure that people, including health care providers, who were in contact with the Michigan individual were assessed for possible exposure to rabies.
“Post exposure preventive care, if appropriate, has been provided.”
The Michigan health department stated: “A public health investigation determined they contracted rabies through the transplanted organ.”
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) noted that this is Michigan’s first human rabies case in over 16 years, the last being in 2009.
The Toledo-Lucas County Health Department further reported that there is no ongoing risk to the public at large.
“A multi-state public health investigation was conducted to determine the risk of exposure to the recipient and found no risk to the general public,” it stated.
In the United States, fewer than 10 people succumb to rabies annually. The virus is transmitted to humans and animals through the bites or scratches of infected animals.
While rabid dogs are uncommon in the U.S., the CDC notes that a majority of Americans live in regions where wild animals such as bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes may carry the virus. Approximately 60,000 people receive medical care each year due to potential exposure.
Travel to certain areas in Africa, Asia, and parts of Central and South America, where rabies remains a significant issue in dogs, poses a higher risk according to the CDC.
Rabies is a lethal yet preventable disease, with early medical treatment proving almost entirely effective. Treatment involves wound care, a dose of human rabies immune globulin (HRIG), and a series of rabies vaccinations.