Het CDC heeft zelf ook een aantal "onverklaarbare doodsoorzaken" onderzocht, het waren allemaal mensen die als donor geregistreerd waren:
Three Sudden Cardiac Deaths Associated with Lyme Carditis — United States, November 2012–July 2013http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtm ... mm6249a1_wCase Reports and Public Health Investigation
Patient 1. In November 2012, a Massachusetts resident was found unresponsive in an automobile after it veered off the road. No evidence of traumatic injury was found. An electrocardiogram (EKG) performed by emergency responders showed no cardiac activity, and the patient was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. The patient had no serious preexisting medical conditions. No rash was noted at autopsy, although some atherosclerosis was present. Interviews with next-of-kin revealed that the patient had described a nonspecific illness with malaise and muscle and joint pain during the 2 weeks preceding death. The patient lived alone with a dog that was reported to have ticks frequently.
The decedent's corneas and skin, musculoskeletal, cardiac, and vascular tissues were recovered for potential transplantation. The heart was sent to tissue bank A for valve recovery. Microscopic examination of cardiac tissue found extensive myocarditis with mixed perivascular lymphoplasmacytic inflammation suggestive of Lyme carditis. A postmortem serum sample tested at CDC yielded serologic evidence of recent infection with B. burgdorferi, reacting strongly in both whole cell sonicate (WCS) and C6 enzyme immunoassay (EIA), and against all three scored bands (23 kDa, 39 kDa, and 41 kDa) by immunoglobulin M (IgM) Western blot. Western blot testing for immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies demonstrated reactivity against four of 10 scored bands (23 kDa, 39 kDa, 41 kDa, and 45 kDa); these serologic findings were consistent with early disseminated Lyme disease.
Histopathologic evaluation of postmortem tissues at CDC also was suggestive of Lyme pancarditis (Figure 1) and abundant spirochetes were observed by Warthin-Starry silver stain (Figure 2). Spirochetes also were detected in the myocardium by immunohistochemistry (IHC). Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays detected B. burgdorferi in extracts of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded heart tissue based on outer surface protein A, flagellin, and plasminogen-binding protein gene targets. No donor tissues were transplanted.
Patient 2. In July 2013, a New York state resident experienced chest pain and collapsed at home. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was unsuccessful, and the patient was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The patient's past medical history included a diagnosis of Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a cardiac conduction abnormality. The patient had no known tick contact or rash but was reported to be a hiker. Evidence of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease was noted at autopsy. The decedent's corneas and skin, musculoskeletal, vascular, and cardiac tissue were recovered for potential transplantation. Examination of cardiac tissue at tissue bank A revealed moderate diffuse, perivascular lymphoplasmacytic pancarditis, similar to that seen in patient 1. Serologic testing at CDC was consistent with recent infection with B. burgdorferi; WCS and C6 EIAs were strongly reactive, IgM Western blot demonstrated strong reactivity to all three scored bands, and IgG Western blot demonstrated reactivity to four scored bands (23 kDa, 41 kDa, 58 kDa, and 66 kDa). Rare spirochetes were identified in cardiac tissue by Warthin-Starry silver stain and IHC; heart tissues tested positive for B. burgdorferi by PCR.
Before diagnosis of B. burgdorferi infection, the decedent's corneas were transplanted to two recipients. The transplanting physicians and cornea recipients subsequently were notified of the donor's infection. Neither recipient 1 nor recipient 2 reported signs or symptoms of Lyme disease or problems with the transplanted cornea. Both recipients elected to receive antibiotic therapy with doxycycline. None of the remaining donated tissues were transplanted.
Patient 3. In July 2013, a Connecticut resident collapsed while visiting New Hampshire and was pronounced dead at a local hospital. The patient had complained of episodic shortness of breath and anxiety during the 7–10 days before death. No rash, arthralgia, or neurologic symptoms were noted. A physician consulted 1 day before death prescribed clonazepam for anxiety; an EKG was not performed, nor were any antibiotics prescribed. The patient lived on a heavily wooded lot and had frequent tick exposure; there was no known history of cardiovascular disease. Autopsy revealed myocarditis, and the medical examiner submitted heart tissues to CDC for evaluation of suspected viral myocarditis. Corneas and skin were recovered for donation, and one cornea was transplanted to recipient 3. No other tissue was transplanted. Recipient 3 was examined 1 week after corneal transplant and was recovering as anticipated. Examination of heart tissues at CDC again demonstrated diffuse mixed perivascular lymphoplasmacytic pancarditis. Warthin-Starry stain revealed spirochetes in the myocardium, and IHC and PCR assays confirmed the spirochete as B. burgdorferi. WCS and C6 EIAs were positive, IgM Western blot was positive for all three scored bands, and IgG Western blot demonstrated reactivity to one scored band (41 kDa).
The eye bank was informed of the Lyme disease status of the donor and the recommendations for therapy. Before notification of the Lyme disease status of the donor, recipient 3 died of unrelated causes. No tissues or serum from recipient 3 were available for evaluation.