Estimated that the number of brain-dead potential organ donors in the U.S. ranges from 17,000 to 26,000 per year.
Bacteremia or fungemia in organ donors are not absolute contraindications to donation since outcomes of recipients are not significantly worse than when donors do not have infection.
Individuals who are infected with hepatitis B or C can donate organs into recipients infected with the same virus and can be considered in patients who are not so infected but need a life-saving organ transplantation.
Absolute contraindications to organ donation include HIV infection, systemic viral infections, prion related disease and herpes meningoencephalitis.
Can transmit cytomegalovirus and induce cytomegaloviral disease.