France confirms first Shamonda virus infection in a human death of 'severely immunocompromised' individual
The virus, typically affecting livestock, was detected in a deceased, severely immunocompromised patient in eastern France.
Quick Look
- French authorities reported the first-ever human case of the Shamonda virus, an insect-borne livestock disease.
- The patient, who was severely immunocompromised, died earlier this month.
- Officials state there is currently no risk to the general public.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The Shamonda virus is an insect-borne Orthobunyavirus first identified in Nigeria in the 1960s. It primarily affects cattle and has been spreading across Europe in 2026.
French health officials on Thursday confirmed that they had detected the Shamonda virus in a human — who died early this month — in what they say was the first-ever case of a human contracting the livestock disease.
"Despite circulating in Africa and Asia for several decades, the Shamonda virus has never previously been detected in humans," said France's Ministries of Health and of Agriculture in a joint statement.
"No health risk to the general public identified at this time," they said, adding that the human infection appeared to be, "an exceptional case involving a severely immunocompromised patient."
How is Shamonda virus transmitted?
First identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s, the insect-borne Shamonda virus is a variant of the Orthobunyavirus, a genus that contains 138 species, and primarily affects livestock, particularly cattle.
It is transmitted by culicoides, or biting midges.
The virus has been detected in animals in Africa and Japan for years and has been spreading across Europe this year.
Until now, it was not thought to be transmissible to humans.
According to a press statement on the Ministry of Agriculture's webpage, "At this stage of the investigation, the hypothesis is that the case resulted from vector-borne transmission via the bite of a culicoid midge in eastern France, a region where the virus was reported to be circulating among animals in the spring and summer of 2026."
The ministry said biological, clinical and epidemiological investigations are being carried out by experts in human, animal and environmental health, adding that authorities at the World Health Organization and European Center for Disease Control had been notified of the incident.
Open Questions
- What specific biological factors allowed the virus to infect this patient?
- Are there other undetected human cases in the region?
