West Nile Virus Transmission by Solid Organ Transplantation and Considerations for Organ Donor Screening Practices, United States
Raymond Soto, Emily G. McDonald, Pallavi Annambhotla, Jason O. Velez, Janeen Laven, Amanda J. Panella, Kimberly Machesky, Jennifer White, Judie Hyun, Emily Freuck, Janice Habel, David Oh, Marilyn E. Levi, R. Hasz, Elling E. Eidbo, J. Erin Staples, Sridhar V. Basavaraju, Carolyn V. Gould
Abstract
W est Nile virus (WNV) is the leading cause of mosquitoborne disease in the contiguous United States and is spread to humans primarily by Culex species mosquitoes (1). Transmission through solid organ transplantation (SOT) and blood transfusion was recognized during 2002 (2,3). Patients infected by SOT are at increased risk for severe disease and death, probably related to immunosuppression In the United States, WNV screening of deceased organ donors is not mandatory and varies by organ procurement organization (OPO) (12). We describe WNV SOT transmission during 2018 and considerations for donor screening practices.