On the bright side, the risk is very small and the simplest safety precautions can prevent transmission

Dec 15, 2014 08:09 GMT  ·  By

In a new paper in the American Journal of Transplantation, infectious diseases experts warn that, according to evidence at hand, it is possible for the Ebola virus to pass from one individual to another through organ donation.

What they mean is that, were somebody carrying this deadly virus in their body to donate one of their organs to another person, this other patient might become infected as well and eventually develop serious health complications as a result.

On the bright side, it appears that the risk for one person to transmit the deadly Ebola virus to another through organ donation is extremely small. Besides, researchers say that even the simplest safety precautions can prevent transmission.

The risk of infection is real when receiving a donor organ

In their paper in the American Journal of Transplantation, specialist Daniel Kaul with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, US, and fellow researchers explain that, whenever receiving a donor organ, a patient runs the risk of also being passed an infection.

True, all donor organs are screened before being transplanted. However, it appears that, every once in a while, a virus goes unnoticed and is, therefore, introduced into a patient's body together with one organ or another. Apparently, the Ebola virus too can be passed during such surgical interventions.

The good news is the risk is very small

Researcher Daniel Kaul and his team say that, although it is true that a person can get Ebola simply by being transplanted an organ, the fact of the matter is that the chances for this to happen are pretty much slim to none, Eurek Alert informs.

The specialists say that, simply by not allowing people who have been to Africa to donate any organs for at least 3 weeks following their arrival, doctors can help make sure that their transplant patients are not put at risk. A run-of-the-mill blood test can also reduce the risk of infection.

The idea is to make sure that the still ongoing Ebola epidemic does not impact on the donor pool, especially given the fact that the lack of organs for transplantation currently translates into the death of thousands of people on a yearly basis.

“Thousands of people die in the United States each year waiting for an organ transplant, and we think it is very important not to overreact to the very low risk that a potential donor might have the Ebola virus, and, as a consequence, unnecessarily discard potentially life-saving organs,” said Daniel Kaul.

“We think that after the 21-day period, doctors taking care of the patients involved could consider using those organs after talking with the potential recipients if that organ might be the recipient's best chance to survive,” he added.

The risk to get Ebola from a donor organ is very small (5 Images)

Specialists warn Ebola can be transmitted through organ donation
This is because this involves an exchange of bodily fluidsEbola is highly contagious and deadly
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