‘Serious situation’: six HIV patients after receiving infected organs in Brazil

Six organ transplant patients have tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in Rio de Janeiro state, a “serious” case that authorities are investigating, Brazil’s Health Ministry said on Friday.

Tests carried out on two donors by a private laboratory hired by Rio de Janeiro’s health system came back positive for the virus after initially testing negative.

“We have now received confirmation that two donors have tested positive for HIV again and six recipients have also tested positive,” said Health Minister Nicia Trindade, describing the “serious situation.”

Authorities ordered the suspension of work at the PCS Lab Saleme, located in the city of Rio de Janeiro, and to carry out new tests on organs that were examined in this institution.

The ministry also ordered an “urgent review (…) of the transplant system in Rio de Janeiro.”

According to local media, the case was discovered on September 10 when a heart transplant patient who did not have HIV before the operation went to the hospital with neurological symptoms and tested positive for the virus.

“This is an unprecedented situation,” the Rio State Health Secretariat said in a statement.

The new studies will be carried out by Rio de Janeiro’s public hematology network using a “high-quality” NAT test produced by the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), which is dependent on the Ministry of Health, Trindade said.

Almost half a million Brazilians were infected with HIV between 2007 and June 2023, according to the latest bulletin from the Ministry of Health.

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