France Reports First Human Shamonda Virus Case

French authorities have confirmed that a patient who died at a hospital in Lyon earlier in October was infected with the Shamonda virus, marking the first documented human case. The French Ministry of Agriculture said there was no identifiable risk to the general population at the time of its announcement. Shamonda is an orthobunyavirus, a group of viruses generally carried by insects. It is transmitted to animals—primarily cattle—by biting midges of the genus Culicoides. First detected in Nigeria in the 1960s, the virus has since been reported sporadically in East and Southern Africa and Japan. Before this case, it was considered unable to infect humans. French authorities’ leading hypothesis is that the patient contracted the virus in eastern France, where it had circulated among animals during the spring and summer. Investigations into the case are continuing, drawing on human, animal and environmental health expertise. The virus was first confirmed in Europe in late July, following genomic tests on sick cattle in southern Germany, Switzerland and eastern France. France’s weekly animal health surveillance bulletin also reported detections in Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Jersey, a Crown Dependency of the United Kingdom. The article reports the authorities’ assessment that the human case poses no identified general-public health risk, while investigations continue.

French authorities have reported the first known human case of Shamonda virus (Shav), a disease previously identified in animals but not in people. The patient, who died in early October, was being treated for a serious illness at a hospital in Lyon and was severely immunocompromised. Officials said the patient developed neurological complications that initial findings suggested were very likely linked to the virus. The patient is thought to have contracted it from a midge bite in eastern France, where the virus was first detected in animals in the spring. The exact route of infection remains under investigation. Shamonda virus primarily affects cattle and can also infect sheep, goats, alpacas and horses. In livestock, it can cause fever, diarrhoea and reduced milk production. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that this is the first documented human case, noting that the virus had circulated in Africa and Asia for decades without known human infections. French officials described the case as exceptional and said there is currently no risk to the public. The WHO has not yet completed a formal risk assessment. However, based on available information and knowledge of similar diseases, it considers the case isolated and wider spread unlikely at this time. It also noted that transmission by midges generally declines in cooler months. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is working with French and other European partners to assess possible public-health implications. The first cases in Europe were identified in late July. Since then, the virus has been found in farm animals in several countries, including Ireland, Germany, Italy and Spain, as well as Jersey. Authorities continue to investigate how the infection reached the patient and are monitoring the situation.

French health and agriculture officials have confirmed the first known human infection with the Shamonda virus. The infected person, who died earlier in the month, was severely immunocompromised. Officials described the case as exceptional and said they had identified no risk to the general public. The World Health Organization likewise assessed that, based on current knowledge of related viruses and the information available, the infection was isolated and unlikely to lead to wider spread. Shamonda virus was first identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s. It is an insect-borne virus in the Orthobunyavirus genus and primarily affects livestock, particularly cattle. It is transmitted by biting midges called culicoides. The virus has been detected in animals in Africa and Japan and has been spreading in Europe this year. Before this case, it was not thought to infect humans. French authorities’ current hypothesis is that the patient contracted the virus through the bite of a midge in eastern France, where the virus had been reported among animals during the spring and summer of 2026. Investigations into the case are ongoing, involving biological, clinical and epidemiological work by experts in human, animal and environmental health. The authorities have notified the WHO and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

France has reported the first recorded human infection with the Shamonda virus, a disease usually found in livestock. The infected person, who had a severely compromised immune system and was being treated for a serious medical condition, died earlier in October. French health and agriculture authorities said they had identified no risk to the general public and described the infection as an exceptional case. Shamonda has circulated in Africa and Asia for decades without previously being detected in humans. It belongs to the Orthobunyavirus group and is transmitted by biting midges. Investigators believe the patient may have been bitten by a midge in eastern France, where the virus was circulating among animals in spring and summer. Preliminary findings suggest that neurological complications experienced by the patient before death were likely linked to the infection, although clinical, biological and epidemiological investigations remain underway. First identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s, the virus has been reported in cattle in parts of Africa and Japan. It was detected in Europe for the first time at the end of July and has since been found in 14 western European countries, including France. Cattle are its main animal hosts, though infections have also been identified in horses, alpacas, sheep and goats. In cattle, symptoms can include acute diarrhoea, fever, lethargy and reduced milk production. A study on nine French dairy farms found milk output declined by as much as 75 percent in affected herds. No commercially available vaccine exists. The World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control have been notified, and the investigation continues.