Patients scramble to reverse surgeries after learning rabies killed their donor

Key Points:

• In early 2025, a rare case of rabies transmission occurred through corneal tissue and organ transplants from a donor who was mistakenly believed to have died of a heart attack but had actually contracted rabies from a skunk scratch.
• The donor’s corneal tissues were distributed to multiple patients across several states, including Inocencio Miramontes in California and Joseph Bird in Idaho, both of whom required urgent post-exposure prophylaxis and surgical reversal to prevent rabies infection.
• Rabies is not routinely tested in organ and tissue donors due to its rarity, the complexity of testing, and the urgent need for organs, but this incident has prompted changes in screening policies, especially for eye banks, which now defer donors with uncertain animal exposure.
• The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network is considering adopting enhanced protocols for rabies screening in organ donors following recommendations from a special advisory committee, with a formal vote expected in November 2025.
• Although the patients exposed to the infected corneal tissue survived after treatment, the incident has caused lasting anxiety and highlighted the challenges of balancing donor safety with the urgent demand for transplantable organs and tissues.