Kidney Transplant patient gets HIV

I saw this posted on the AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF KIDNEY PATIENTS, April 2011 issue:

Kidney Transplant Recipient Infected with HIV from Live Donor

Despite routine screening for HIV by live donors, a kidney transplant recipient became infected, according the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. A CDC report highlights the need to re-examine national policy on HIV tests and their timing when screening living organ donors.

In cases where the donor is dead, they are screened for HIV infection at the time of cardiac or brain death - this occurs within hours of the organ being surgically removed. Living donors, on the other hand, undergo a more lengthy and comprehensive physical-psychological evaluation. In this case, there was a 10-week gap between donor evaluation and the removal of the donor's organ. This longer gap between initial evaluation of live donors and the moment of transplant removal is long enough for potential infections to occur. The authors believe repeat testing should occur very close to the moment of organ removal to rule out any newly acquired infections.