Fecal Transplant Is Linked to a Patient’s Death, the F.D.A. Warns

That’s a grossly misleading title (no pun intended?)

The article clearly states that it has ordered fecal donor material be tested before being transplanted.

Saying “halts clinical trials” implies they are no longer allowed, which is not true.

I can’t imagine who decided to transplant untested fecal matter...

It sounds like a straightforward addition to the studies' protocol; survey donors and exclude those likely to harbor drug resistant bacteria (presumably those who have been on antibiotics recently) and screen the samples for harmful, drug-resistant pathogens. Hopefully this isn't too hard as this technique has always struck me as an elegant solution to an awful problem. I wonder if it's possible to bake a short term self destruct into these transplants so that any infections that occur can be easily destroyed.

“Fecal transplants have come into increasing use to treat severe intestinal disorders, particularly an infection caused by a bacterium called Clostridium difficile, which can be deadly and tends to occur in hospitalized patients who have been heavily treated with antibiotics. The idea behind the transplants is to use stool from a healthy donor to restore the normal balance of bacteria and other organisms in the intestine, the microbiome.

In some cases, the transplants have worked quickly and saved the lives of patients who were wasting away with uncontrollable diarrhea. But the procedure is not approved by the F.D.A. and is considered experimental.”

For anyone else wondering what this procedure is for.

There are a number of pathogens in some blood and plasma donations that are usually not screened. Babesia, a parasite similar to malaria but less severe, has been passed along by blood donors. The FDA did approve something in the middle of last year for testing blood, but it's unclear how widespread the testing is.

Why not let the free market solve the problem?

Find fit, healthy, young people, with a clear medical history and that pass all tests, and let them make regular donations in return for payment?

It still strikes me as odd that we don't allow or encourage a free market for blood, semen, egg donation.