In an unexpected event, it turned out that the transfer of organs from a person who had died by drowning could turn into a danger due to the transfer of dangerous bacteria.
In detail, doctors were able to transfer the right lung from a man who drowned last year after falling into a river in Pennsylvania, to a woman in her seventies, who contracted Legionnaires’ disease, which is the most severe form of pneumonia, and is caused by bacteria known as Legionella. This also happened with a man in his sixties, who obtained the deceased’s left lung.
The two people who contracted Legionnaires’ disease received lungs from the deceased, who was in his thirties, and who died of brain damage after attempts to resuscitate him failed, according to what was published by CNN.
For the first time, it is believed that an organ transplant operation caused the spread of dangerous Legionella bacteria, according to a report published by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In June 2022, the right lung recipient became ill and tested positive for Legionella bacteria, about a month after she underwent a lung transplant. The doctors treated her with antibiotics, and she recovered completely.
As for the left lung recipient, he experienced several complications after the transplant and tested positive for bacteria in June. At first, he appeared to be recovering, but he died about six months after the organ transplant surgery due to respiratory failure.
Doctors examined three other people who received organs from the same donor, but they did not show any symptoms indicating bacterial infection.
It should be noted that people who undergo an organ transplant are particularly vulnerable to infection, as they must take medication that suppresses their immune system for the rest of their lives to prevent it from attacking the donated organ.
After the authorities learned of these two cases, the Pennsylvania State Department of Health searched for the source of the bacteria and examined the hospital water, where organ transplants were performed, but did not find any evidence of the presence of Legionella bacteria.
Ultimately, officials suspected that the bacteria came from the donor who had drowned, as Legionella bacteria can be found naturally in fresh water. The bacteria may have been transmitted to him when he inhaled water while drowning.
The Centers for Disease Control has warned that cases of Legionnaires’ disease have increased “dramatically” over the past decade. Bacteria thrive in warm water. As temperatures rise due to the climate crisis, there are many opportunities for its growth.
The study confirmed that “prompt diagnosis and treatment of Legionnaires’ disease increases the probability of complete recovery.”
2023-09-16 08:38:00
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