France Confirms First Human Case of Shamonda Virus in Deceased Patient; No Immediate Public Health Risk Identified

French authorities have confirmed that a patient who died at a Lyon hospital in early October was infected with the Shamonda virus, marking the first reported human case of the virus. The French Ministry of Agriculture issued a statement on Thursday, emphasizing that there are currently no identifiable health risks to the general population. The Shamonda virus is an orthobunyavirus, a type of virus primarily transmitted by insects, which affects animals, particularly cattle, through the bite of Culicoides midges. First detected in Nigeria in the 1960s, the virus has been sporadically reported in East and Southern Africa, as well as Japan. Until this recent case, the Shamonda virus was believed to be non-transmissible to humans. The leading hypothesis suggests the patient contracted the virus in eastern France, where it circulated among animals during the spring and summer. Investigations involving human, animal, and environmental health experts are ongoing, according to the French announcement. The virus was first confirmed in Europe in late July, following genomic tests on sick cattle in southern Germany, Switzerland, and eastern France. A report from France's weekly animal health surveillance bulletin indicated that Shamonda virus had also been detected in Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Jersey in the United Kingdom.