A man who underwent a life-saving kidney transplant has tragically died after contracting rabies from the donated organ. Barney Kurowicki, a retired postal worker and farmer from Michigan, succumbed to the deadly disease in January 2025, mere weeks after the procedure.
Chain of Events: From Rural Idaho to Ohio
The fatal sequence of events began hundreds of miles away in rural Idaho. The organ donor, James Martin, 59, reportedly sustained a scratch from a skunk while attempting to protect a rescue kitten. Martin subsequently fell ill and lapsed into a coma. Despite his deteriorating condition, medical professionals were unable to identify the cause of his sickness, and he later passed away.
Kurowicki had been on a waiting list for a transplant for over two years, undergoing regular dialysis. He was added to the national transplant registry in late 2024 and received a donor kidney offer within days. The surgery was performed at the University of Toledo Medical Center in Ohio. However, shortly after the transplant, Kurowicki began experiencing complications that were initially attributed to cardiac issues.
Rabies Diagnosis and Public Health Response
Subsequent tests revealed the devastating truth: Kurowicki had contracted rabies through the donated kidney. Reports indicate that Martin’s family had expressed concerns about the skunk encounter. His wife recalled him dismissing the scratch, believing a simple cleaning and a bandage would suffice.
Weeks after the initial incident, Martin’s health took a sharp turn. His wife described finding him seemingly conversing with an unseen individual before he lost consciousness and fell into a coma. His family initially believed his pre-existing health conditions may have contributed to his collapse. He died a few days later.
Because rabies was not suspected, Martin’s organs and tissues underwent standard screening protocols for diseases such as HIV and hepatitis before being allocated for donation. His kidney was transplanted into Kurowicki, while other donated tissues, including corneas, were distributed to recipients and medical programs across multiple states.
Emergence of Alarming Symptoms
While the kidney transplant initially appeared successful, Kurowicki soon developed alarming symptoms. According to an investigation by public health officials, he began experiencing tremors, leg weakness, confusion, and urinary problems. As his condition worsened, doctors observed another chilling symptom characteristic of rabies: hydrophobia, or an extreme fear of water.
Medical staff alerted public health authorities, initiating a specialized consultation. Investigators initially explored the possibility of Kurowicki’s direct exposure to rabid animals. However, testing ultimately confirmed that the rabies infection originated from the donated kidney.
Rarity of Transmission and Protective Measures
Rabies is almost universally fatal once symptoms manifest. Kurowicki passed away just days after the disease was identified. The discovery prompted an urgent, multi-state public health investigation to identify others who might have been exposed through Martin’s donated tissues.
Three individuals who had received cornea grafts from the same donor were promptly notified and advised to undergo treatment, which included the removal of the grafts. Another planned transplant was halted before it could proceed. Fortunately, all cornea recipients survived.
Further analysis by experts suggested that the rabies strain was associated with silver-haired bats, rather than skunks directly. The prevailing theory is that the skunk that scratched Martin may have been infected after consuming a rabid bat.
Ensuring Transplant Safety
Public health officials emphasized that this case represents an exceptionally rare occurrence. Prior to this incident, only three documented cases of rabies transmission through organ transplantation had been recorded in the United States since 1978. Organ transplantation in the U.S. is generally considered very safe.
Experts noted the complexities and limitations of routine rabies testing for organ donors. In response to this tragedy, federal officials have proposed enhancements to donor screening protocols. These proposed changes include more in-depth questions regarding potential rabies exposure and clearer procedures for engaging public health agencies when concerns arise.
Kurowicki’s family has initiated legal action against the medical professionals, transplant organizations, and healthcare providers involved in the transplant, citing alleged failures in the donor organ vetting process. The hospital where the transplant took place stated that an internal review found all established safety protocols and best practices were followed.
For the donor’s wife, the news of another recipient’s death was deeply distressing. She expressed profound sorrow and offered an apology, emphasizing that the transmission was unintentional and unknown at the time of donation.
