The pig heart transplant man is one of the most ambitious health operations this 2022. David Bennett, the first man who received s a pig's heart, had his medical operation on Jan. 7.
However, after two months, he suddenly died. Health experts were confused by his sudden death since the cause is still unidentified.
The University of Maryland Medical Center said that there is no clear cause of his death. Now, MIT claimed that the man died from a pig virus called porcine cytomegalovirus.
Pig Heart Transplant Man Infected by Animal Virus?
According to Independent UK's latest report, the pig virus discovered in Bennett's body is a preventable infection that was caused by the heart transplant.
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"We are beginning to learn why he passed on. Maybe was the actor, or could be the actor, that set this whole thing off," said Dr. Bartley Griffith, a transplant surgeon at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
However, this information still needs further investigation since Griffith and other health experts are unsure if the pig virus is the main cause of the man's death.
UMSOM Professor of Surgery Muhammad M. Mohiuddin said that the evidence lacks, but there are signs of porcine pathogens in humans.
If further findings prove that the pig virus is the main cause of Bennett's death, health experts will be more careful regarding animal-to-human transplants.
This means that more screening processes will be conducted before animal transplants are approved.
Is the Pig Virus Concerning?
Griffith said that the detected pig virus in Bennett's heart transplant did not concern him at all.
He added that if the man was really infected, then health experts can prevent it from happening again in future xenotransplantation operations.
Some individuals still believe that pig viruses in humans can lead to another pandemic.
However, Jay Fishman, a Massachusetts General Hospital transplant infection specialist, Jay Fishman, said that pig viruses couldn't actually affect human cells.
Meanwhile, a new study claimed that bee pollination could create natural medicine for parasite infections.
On the other hand, health researchers recently tried to put human immune systems in pigs.
For more news updates about animal-to-human transplants and other similar health operations, always keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.
Related Article : Pig Heart Transplant Patient Dies, Cause of Death Unknown-Xenotransplantation Not Yet Effective?
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Written by: Griffin Davis
