Ad Hoc Disease Transmission Advisory Committee

The Ad Hoc Disease Transmission Advisory Committee (DTAC) considers issues related to the transmission of disease through organ transplantation. The Committee examines potential disease transmission cases reported to the OPTN in an effort to confirm transmissions where possible. It reviews aggregate data on cases to assess the risk of donor disease transmission in organ transplantation in the U.S. with the goal of providing (1) education and guidance to the transplant community toward preventing future disease transmission and (2) input in developing policy to improve the safety of organ donation through the reduction of donor derived transmission events. It may identify disease-transmission related patient safety issues to be addressed, as appropriate, by the OPTN.

Compiled by the Ad Hoc Disease Transmission Advisory Committee (DTAC), see the latest information known for minimizing the risk of donor-derived COVID-19 transmission while maximizing donor utilization. DTAC has committed to reviewing the document quarterly.

Current projects

Review

• Require West Nile Virus Seasonal Testing for All Donors
• Clarification of OPO and Living Donor Recovery Hospital Requirements for Organ Donors with HIV Positive Test Results

Implemented

• Revisions to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Policies to Align with Federal Regulatory Updates (6/2025)
• Clarify Requirements for Reporting a Potential Disease Transmission (8/2025)
• Standardize the Patient Safety Contact and Reduce Duplicate Reporting
• Recognizing Seasonal and Geographically Endemic Infections in Organ Donors: Considerations during Deceased and Living Donor Evaluation
• Require Lower Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 Testing for Lung Donors
• Improve Deceased Donor Evaluation for Endemic Diseases
• Pediatric Candidate Pre-Transplant HIV, HBV, and HCV Testing
• Update Data Collection to Align with US Public Health Service Guideline 2020 (9/2023)
• Align OPTN Policy with U.S. Public Health Service Guideline, 2020
• Modify HOPE Act variance to include other organs (1/2019)
• Require another match run based on infectious disease test results (1/2015)

Committee members