Four people received donated organs from a man unknowingly infected with rabies, leading to a rare human death more than a year later that has authorities scrambling to treat the other three patients, federal health officials said Friday.
The man who died lived in Maryland and had received a kidney. The recipients of the donor's other kidney, heart and liver are getting anti-rabies shots, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a news release Friday. Those patients live in Florida, Georgia and Illinois.
The donor died in Florida in 2011 after moving there from North Carolina.
The CDC said it's working with public health officials and medical facilities in all five states to identify people who were in close contact with the donor or the four organ recipients. Those people might also need treatment, the agency said.
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Question: Which animals carry rabies?
Answer: Carnivores, such as foxes, skunks, raccoons, bobcats, coyotes and wolves, are not legal to possess and could have the rabies virus without showing any signs. These carnivores should not be handled even if an infant is injured. Any rabies exposure to these animals should be reported to Animal Control so that a report can be made and the animal can be tested. Humane traps can be set to attempt to capture the animal, if it is not already contained.
Bats that bite or scratch a person or domestic animal are of great concern regarding potential rabies. Protect yourself when containing the bat and call Animal Control to have a report made and to pick up the bat for rabies testing. If you locate a bat inside your home and are not sure if a bite or scratch has occurred, contact Animal Control for guidance before disposing of the bat.
Dogs, cats and ferrets should always be vaccinated against rabies. Although these animals are not born with rabies as some carnivores are, they can be exposed and be of risk to humans. Larger animals, such as dogs, cats and ferrets, can survive an attack of a rabid animal and contract rabies. The state requires that all dogs, cats, and ferrets that bite or scratch be confined for a 10-day quarantine period. The 10-day period is necessary to observe the animal for any signs of rabies.
Small animals and rodents, such as squirrels, hamsters, guinea pigs, gerbils, chipmunks, rats, mice, gophers, moles, rabbits and hares, seldom survive an attack from a rabid animal and do not normally carry rabies. Any bite or scratch from these animals should be treated, but Animal Control does not take reports or confine these animals for rabies testing.
I don't really give a wineo's dump about what they're doing to clean up this mess., what I would like to know is, HOW in the heck did these organs get approved for use? Sounds like they were acquired through some 'transplant organ black market'.
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