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Infected Hamster Blamed for Three Organ Transplant Deaths
by
findingDulcinea Staff
PetSmart sued after three people die from organ transplants; donor was infected with a rare virus found in rodents.
30-Second Summary
The organ donor had purchased a pet hamster that was infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) from a PetSmart store in Rhode Island.
Now Nancy Magee, whose husband died after receiving a liver transplant from the donor, is suing PetSmart for negligence. Magee claims the store should warn prospective hamster owners that the animals can carry the virus, and that it may be fatal to people with compromised immune systems.
House mice are the most common carriers of LCMV, and can spread the virus through body waste, saliva or nesting materials. Hamsters are less common carriers but they can get the virus from a pet store, at a breeder or in a home environment.
Though LCMV-related death is rare, it has happened to other organ recipients in recent years. In 2005, health officials urged doctors to carefully monitor organ transplant patients because at least six deaths had been connected to LCMV in the previous two years. Australia reported three more deaths from LCMV-tainted transplants in 2007.
Today nearly 100,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant. Slightly more than 2,000 have received a transplant so far in 2008, according to OrganDonor.gov.
Now Nancy Magee, whose husband died after receiving a liver transplant from the donor, is suing PetSmart for negligence. Magee claims the store should warn prospective hamster owners that the animals can carry the virus, and that it may be fatal to people with compromised immune systems.
House mice are the most common carriers of LCMV, and can spread the virus through body waste, saliva or nesting materials. Hamsters are less common carriers but they can get the virus from a pet store, at a breeder or in a home environment.
Though LCMV-related death is rare, it has happened to other organ recipients in recent years. In 2005, health officials urged doctors to carefully monitor organ transplant patients because at least six deaths had been connected to LCMV in the previous two years. Australia reported three more deaths from LCMV-tainted transplants in 2007.
Today nearly 100,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant. Slightly more than 2,000 have received a transplant so far in 2008, according to OrganDonor.gov.
Headline Link: PetSmart hamster blamed in transplant deaths
A spokesman for PetSmart said lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM) is not commonly found in hamsters and it’s not something the store routinely tests for in its animals. In humans, LCM is a viral infection of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord.
Source: Washington Post (Free registration may be required)
Background: Additional LCMV deaths
In 2005, health officials urged doctors to carefully monitor organ transplant patients because at least six deaths had been connected to LCMV in the previous two years. The deaths were considered quite rare, but doctors were unsure how long the virus may have gone undetected. At that time, Wisconsin health officials announced that four transplant recipients had died of the virus in 2003. They had made no public announcements initially because not all the affected patients tested positive for LCMV, and because the virus isn’t spread through human-to-human transmission.
Source: MSNBC
In 2007, researchers in Australia learned the LCMV could be found in gene sequences in some patients. They were studying tissue samples from three women who had all received organ transplants from the same donor and who had died within days of each others. The research represented a potential first as a means of discovering LCMV.
Source: The Age
Reference: Lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCM)
LCM is a disease caused by the lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). House mice are the most common carriers of LCMV, and they can have it without ever showing signs of illness. Hamsters can contract LCMV from a pet store, at a breeder or in a home environment. Most often, humans contract LCMV from mice. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention elaborates on the causes of LCM and LCMV infections and how to prevent them.
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Related: Organ donation
MedlinePlus provides an overview of organ donation, including an explanation of what organs can be donated and current news about organ donation. There is also information devoted to specific types of organ transplantation, such as kidney and heart transplantation.
Source: MedlinePlus
OrganDonor.gov explains how to become an organ and tissue donor where you live. You can also order a free donor card to carry with you until you can sign up for a donor registry or designate yourself as an organ donor on your driver’s license.
Source: Organdonor.gov
Nearly 100,000 people in the United States need organ transplants. The Mayo Clinic addresses several myths about organ transplantation that may cause some people concern about becoming a donor, such as whether an individual would even qualify as a good donor candidate.
Source: Mayo Clinic
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