A tropical disease expert explains why the Shamonda virus could affect the brain

The Shamonda virus has been on everyone's lips since the death of a man in France was announced a few days ago. The relationship between infection and death has yet to be determined, but doctors identified in the patient, who also suffered from severe immunosuppression, the presence of this virus hitherto unidentified in humans. The only thing that has emerged so far is that the man suffered neurological and brain damage, a sign that scientists have linked to the possible viral infection.

What is known about the Shamonda virus so far is that it only affects the livestock animal population. It is not an unknown virus, but has high veterinary relevance. Of the genus Orthobunyavirus, the infection is transmitted mainly by biting dipterans of the genus Culicoides. These are also behind the transmission of other viral serogroups such as Schmallenberg virus (SBV) and Akabane virus (AKAV).

Among the most common symptoms it produces in the animal species are fever and diarrhea. Therefore, why have scientists linked the French patient's brain damage to the virus? We have been talking about this issue since 2020 with the expert in tropical diseases Justo Menéndez.

The predilection for nervous and brain tissue

It is not unusual to relate this type of virus to the brain. In fact, as pointed out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Spain, neurological signs have been shown in the equids (horses, donkeys, donkeys...) that have been infected, although the organization points out that "its causality has not been able to be demonstrated at the moment."

Justo Menéndez explains to 20bien that "there are a lot of viruses that have a predilection for nervous tissue in general and the brain in particular." These are called neurotropes. Some examples that the specialist gives us are those such as the herpes zoster virus that affects the peripheral nerves. This type of virus can cause encephalitis and meningitis as a manifestation.

"When there is a disease, meningitis or encephalitis that is not explained by other causes, it is investigated and other viruses are looked for. Surely, although I do not know in detail all the particularities of the case, because they have not been made public, when searching for which viruses could be causing encephalitis in this person, they found this virus," he says about the case of the suspected patient in France.