*Mystery virus kills transplant recipients
*
April 22, 2007 06:20am
Article from: AAP

AUSTRALIA - A MYSTERY virus has killed three Victorian organ recipients
from the the one donor.

The bug has been linked to Ebola virus, responsible for the deaths of
thousands in central Africa since the 1970s, News Limited newspapers say.

Experts from New York's Columbia University helped solve the mystery of
the multiple transplant deaths after local scientists were stumped.

The deaths are being investigated by the state coroner.

Test could not determine any common link between the donor and the three
recipients.

The virus in the recipients is believed to be a world first.

"The discovery of this virus is of national and international
significance,'' a New York expert said.

The deaths were revealed by News Limited newspapers in February.

Lina Sirianni, a 63-year-old grandmother, died after her kidney
transplant at Austin Hospital.
Monash University lecturer Dr Gurpal Kaur, 64, also died at the Austin
after receiving a liver transplant.

And the unidentified third victim died after receiving a kidney at Royal
Melbourne Hospital.

The male donor, carrying the killer bug, died in Dandenong Hospital from
a brain haemorrhage in December.

The man had just returned from Europe.

The virus can cause "old-world'' diseases such as Yellow Fever, Ebola
and Lymphocytic chorio meningitis.

Victoria's acting chief health officer, Dr John Carnie, said the virus
was detected in multiple samples from all three transplant patients.

But there was no evidence the virus would risk the public, he said.

A coroner's office spokeswoman said families of the victims were told
yesterday and that there would be an inquest.