Xenotransplantation and a potential threat of animal pathogens in humans.

Xenotransplantation the transplantation of animal cells, tissues or organs into humans to treat diseases, could be an alternative to other methods. Xenotransplantation products could function for prolonged periods when given to recipients who survive for many years. Xenotransplantation is a public health concern because it has the potential to infect human recipients with infectious agents that do not ordinarily infect humans, thereby introducing new infection to humans. It combines a potential benefit with a potential risk to humans that is presently unknown.