Health officials in France have reported the first documented human infection with Shamonda virus following the death of a patient in early October. The individual was severely immunocompromised and receiving treatment at a Lyon hospital at the time of illness. Investigators believe the patient likely contracted the virus through a midge bite in eastern France, where animal cases were initially identified in the spring.
Shamonda virus had previously been known only to infect livestock and certain other animals, including cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas, and horses. The disease is transmitted by infected midges and has circulated in Africa and Asia for decades without documented human transmission until this case. In cattle, the virus causes fever, diarrhea, and reduced milk production.
French health and agriculture authorities emphasized that the patient’s severely weakened immune system made them particularly vulnerable to infection. The neurological complications the patient experienced were believed to be closely linked to the virus based on preliminary medical findings. Officials stated there is currently no risk to the general public from this case.
Both the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control indicated they are monitoring developments. The WHO noted that available evidence and knowledge of similar diseases suggest the case appears isolated and unlikely to trigger broader transmission, particularly as cooler autumn weather typically reduces midge-borne virus transmissibility. The ECDC confirmed it is collaborating with French and European partners to assess public health implications. Animal cases of Shamonda virus in Europe were first detected in late July and have since been identified in farm animals across several countries, including Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain, and Jersey.
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