Organ donor unwittingly had rabies — and now one kidney recipient is dead and others are at risk

Source: New York Post

A Michigan grandpa was killed by the kidney donation he thought would save his life — because the organ donor was infected with rabies from a skunk in a medical nightmare that could affect other organ recipients, according to health officials. Barney Kurowicki, of Tecumseh, Michigan, had been on dialysis for two years when he received a kidney transplant from James Martin, a 59-year-old Idaho father of three, in December 2024, Scripps News reported this week. Martin had died the previous year of what his family believed was heart problems, said his widow Kim Martin told the outlet.