Pet rodents and fatal lymphocytic choriomeningitis in transplant patients.
In April 2005, 4 transplant recipients became ill after receiving organs infected with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV); 3 subsequently died. All organs came from a donor who had been exposed to a hamster infected with LCMV. The hamster was traced back through a Rhode Island pet store to a distribution center in Ohio, and more LCMV-infected hamsters were discovered in both. Rodents from the Ohio facility and its parent facility in Arkansas were tested for the same LCMV strain as the 1 involved in the transplant-associated deaths. Phylogenetic analysis of virus sequences linked the rodents from the Ohio facility to the Rhode Island pet store, the index hamster, and the transplant recipients. This report details the animal traceback and the supporting laboratory investigations.
Amman
Brian R
BR
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA. bamman@cdc.gov
Pavlin
Boris I
BI
Albariño
Cesar G
CG
Comer
James A
JA
Erickson
Bobbie R
BR
Oliver
Jennifer B
JB
Sealy
Tara K
TK
Vincent
Martin J
MJ
Nichol
Stuart T
ST
Paddock
Christopher D
CD
Tumpey
Abbigail J
AJ
Wagoner
Kent D
KD
Glauer
R David
RD
Smith
Kathleen A
KA
Winpisinger
Kim A
KA
Parsely
Melody S
MS
Wyrick
Phil
P
Hannafin
Christopher H
CH
Bandy
Utpala
U
Zaki
Sherif
S
Rollin
Pierre E
PE
Ksiazek
Thomas G
TG
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000821:virology*; D016358:Contact Tracing; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008216:Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis / Q000635:transmission*; D008217:Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D010802:Phylogeny; D051381:Rats; D012377:Rodentia / Q000821:virology*; D019737:Transplants / Q000009:adverse effects; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D015047:Zoonoses / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology