Screening for Zika virus in deceased organ donors in Florida

Zika virus (ZIKV) cases have been detected across the United States (US) and locally acquired cases have been reported in Florida. Currently, there are no ZIKV screening guidelines and no data on the incidence among organ donors in the US. This retrospective study was conducted at Jackson Memorial-Miami Transplant Institute. Positive ZIKV tests in local deceased organ donors were investigated from 6/2016 to 1/2017. We evaluated demographics and risk factors for ZIKV infection among organ donors and transplant outcomes among recipients of donors with positive ZIKV testing. One hundred forty-two donors were analyzed. Ten percent had traveled to ZIKV-endemic countries and 19% had outdoor occupations. Only 3% had positive ZIKV IGG. None had a positive ZIKV IGM or PCR. ZIKV-positive donors were more likely to have traveled to ZIKV-endemic countries (50% vs. 9%, P=.05). The kidneys from a ZIKV-positive donor were transplanted in our hospital with no 6-month rejection, graft failure, or death in the recipients. Our study demonstrated a low prevalence of ZIKV among deceased donors in our community. Despite local ZIKV transmission, ZIKV was more common in donors who traveled to ZIKV-endemic countries. This cohort demonstrated excellent outcomes in recipients of ZIKV IGG-positive donors. However, larger studies are needed. This study demonstrates a low prevalence of Zika virus among local deceased organ donors in a hospital located in Miami and that Zika virus is more common in donors who traveled to endemic countries for Zika.