CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) March 18, 2011/60(10); 297-301

HIV Transmitted from a Living Organ Donor --- New York City, 2009

This report describes the first confirmed case of HIV transmission through organ transplantation from a living donor reported since 1989 (1) and the first such transmission documented in the United States since laboratory screening for HIV infection became available in 1985. The time sequence in which HIV was isolated from frozen specimens, tight phylogenetic clustering of HIV sequences from the donor and recipient, and lack of other HIV exposure risk in the recipient confirmed that HIV was transmitted by transplantation of a kidney from a living donor who was infected after screening negative for HIV infection during his initial evaluation. This case highlights the need for repeat HIV screening for all living donors using a combination of HIV serology and NAT, as close to the time of organ donation as logistically feasible, to rule out acute or recent HIV infection in living donors before organ donation.