France confirms first human Shamonda virus infection in immunocompromised patient

PARIS, FRANCE: French health and agriculture ministries have confirmed the first documented human infection of the Shamonda virus, a pathogen previously known to affect only livestock. The infection was identified in a severely immunocompromised patient receiving treatment at the Hospices Civils de Lyon, who died in early October.

The Shamonda virus, belonging to the Orthobunyavirus group, is primarily transmitted to animals by small biting insects known as Culicoides midges. Until this recent development, the virus was not considered transmissible to humans, having circulated in cattle across Africa and Asia since its initial discovery in Nigeria in the mid-1960s. "This is therefore an exceptional case involving a severely immunocompromised patient," French authorities stated regarding the Lyon infection. The pathogen made its first appearance in Western Europe during the summer of 2026, initially detected in dairy cattle in France in June.

According to a joint statement by the French ministries, the patient is believed to have contracted the virus through a midge bite in eastern France, where the pathogen was circulating among animals during the spring and summer. "The neurological complications observed in the immunocompromised patient prior to his death are very likely linked to infection with the Shamonda virus," the ministries stated. According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the specific midge species involved in this transmission remains unknown.

In livestock, particularly adult cattle, the virus typically causes acute diarrhoea, fever, lethargy, and a significant decline in milk production. Sporadic infections have also been noted in small ruminants and horses in France this summer. Since its European debut, the Shamonda virus has been detected in 14 countries, including Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, as well as Jersey island.

The emergence of the virus in humans highlights a potential shift in its host range, although authorities emphasise that this appears to be an exceptional case limited to individuals with compromised immune systems. The broader concern for public health and agriculture remains the rapid spread of the virus among livestock across the continent. The widespread circulation in 14 Western European nations poses a significant challenge to the region's dairy and meat sectors, necessitating close monitoring by veterinary and public health agencies.

Clinical, biological, and epidemiological investigations are currently ongoing in collaboration with the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control to determine the exact circumstances of the infection and its contribution to the patient's death. Meanwhile, French authorities have reassured the public that there is currently no identified health risk to the general population.