Patient dies in France after infection with the Shamonda virus; case is unprecedented in humans

A virus from the orthobunyavirus family, of the Shamonda type, transmitted by small hematophagous insects and until then only known to infect farm animals, was identified for the first time in a human being. The immunosuppressed patient died in early October, French authorities reported this Thursday (22).

In a joint statement, the French Ministries of Health and Agriculture said that, despite the virus circulating for decades in Africa and Asia, no human cases had been recorded so far. "This is an exceptional case that occurred in a heavily immunosuppressed patient," authorities said. The man was hospitalized in Lyon due to a serious illness and died in early October.

To date, the main hypothesis to explain the infection is the bite of an insect of the genus Culicoides in eastern France. In this region, the circulation of the virus among animals had already been recorded in the spring and summer of 2026, according to authorities.

The virus was first identified in Europe, including France, in late July and has since spread rapidly. It currently circulates in 52 French departments among cattle and, to a lesser extent, among sheep in two departments and horses in one department.

According to the latest bulletin from ESA (Epidemiological Surveillance in Animal Health), 14 countries in Western Europe have already registered the presence of the virus. According to the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (Inrae), the rapid spread is related to climatic conditions favorable to the transmitting insects.

Initial investigations indicate that the neurological complications observed before the patient's death were likely related to Shamonda virus infection. Despite the unprecedented case, authorities stated that, based on available scientific knowledge, there is no identified risk for the general population.

Cattle are the main hosts "Clinical, biological and epidemiological investigations continue to be ongoing within the 'One Health' approach, which integrates experts in human, animal and environmental health", informed the ministries. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have already been notified about the case.

The Shamonda virus is transmitted between animals by small insects of the genus Culicoides. First identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s, it has been sporadically recorded in cattle in West, East and Southern Africa, as well as Japan. Cattle are considered the main hosts of the virus, but sporadic infections have also recently been recorded in small ruminants and horses in the country.

French health authorities have already notified international health organizations, and clinical, biological and epidemiological investigations into the case remain ongoing.