This is the 4th documented transplant incident with rabies in just the United States, with cases in 1979, 2004 (four deaths from one donor), 2013 and now this one.
In at least the 1979 [0] and 2004 [1] and also this recent case, it seems likely the donor died of rabies; they all had neurological symptoms which in hindsight fit the profile. But due to the rarity it wasn't diagnosed.
I can't help but wonder how many people who aren't organ donors got rabies then died and it wasn't ever correctly diagnosed; most people aren't organ donors.
In at least the 1979 [0] and 2004 [1] and also this recent case, it seems likely the donor died of rabies; they all had neurological symptoms which in hindsight fit the profile. But due to the rarity it wasn't diagnosed.
I can't help but wonder how many people who aren't organ donors got rabies then died and it wasn't ever correctly diagnosed; most people aren't organ donors.
[0] https://sci-hub.se/10.1056/NEJM197903153001105
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/jul/03/usa.suzannegol...