In brief
French authorities announced the first recorded human infection with Shamonda virus (Shav) when a patient who suffered from significant immunosuppression died in early October. The virus, typically transmitted to cattle by biting midges, had not been known to infect humans before this case. French and European health agencies are investigating the source and potential public health implications, but officials say there is no immediate risk to the general population. The outbreak follows earlier detections of the virus in animals across multiple European countries.
Shamonda virus mostly affects livestock, causing fever, diarrhoea and poor milk production.
The first human case of the Shamonda virus (Shav) has been confirmed in France after a severely immunocompromised patient died in early October. The patient was receiving treatment for a serious illness at a Lyon hospital when the virus appeared to cause neurological complications.
Health officials say the virus is not currently spreading among the general population and there is no immediate risk to the public.
Shamonda virus is an animal disease that mainly affects cattle and can be spread by the bite of infected midges. It has also been detected in sheep, goats, alpacas and horses, but no human cases had been reported before this incident.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is monitoring the situation and working with French authorities to investigate how the virus reached a human host.
Officials believe the patient contracted Shav through a midge bite in eastern France, where animal cases were first identified in the spring.
In dairy herds, bites can cause fever, diarrhoea and decreased milk production, threatening the agriculture sector.
The case has been reported to the World Health Organization and highlights the need for vigilance as the virus spreads across Europe, having recently been detected in Ireland, Germany, Italy, Spain and Jersey.
