Shamonda virus detected in a human for the first time in France

Following the death of a patient with a weakened immune system in France, it has been reported that the Shamonda virus, usually encountered in livestock, has been seen in humans for the first time. Authorities are investigating whether the virus played a role in the death.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) stated that the patient in France is the first recorded human case. It is not yet clear whether the virus played a role in the death of the patient, who was previously seriously ill and had a weakened immune system. Investigations into the transmission route of the virus and its relationship to the death are ongoing.

The Shamonda virus, a member of the bunyavirus family that typically causes diarrhea, loss of appetite, decreased milk yield, and miscarriages or structural defects in offspring in animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats, is spread through the bites of infected biting midges. Experts state that there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission and that while the risk to the general public appears to be very low, investigations are continuing.