French public health authorities reported detecting the Shamonda virus in a human for the first time, marking the initial official record. The patient, who had severe immunodeficiency and was treated in Lyon, died in early October. However, current scientific data indicates no health risk to the general public from this virus.
Today (22 Oct), French public health officials revealed the first recorded human death from Shamonda virus infection. The patient, severely immunocompromised, was treated at Hospices Civils de Lyon hospital in Lyon due to severe illness and died in early October.
The French Ministry of Health stated that Shamonda virus was previously considered incapable of infecting humans. This detection in the patient represents the first confirmed and officially reported case of human infection.
The Shamonda virus is part of the Orthobunyavirus group and is transmitted among animals by small bloodsucking midges of the genus Culicoides. It was first identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s, with occasional infections reported in cattle across West, East, and Southern Africa, as well as in Japan.
In summer 2026, this virus was detected for the first time in Europe, including France, where it was found on cattle farms. There were also sporadic infections reported in small ruminants like sheep and goats, as well as equine animals in France last summer, with cattle considered the main reservoir.
Regarding the deceased patient, French health authorities preliminarily assume infection occurred via a vector, likely through a midge bite of the genus Culicoides in eastern France—a region where animal infections were reported during spring and summer 2026.
Further examinations indicate that the brain complications observed in the patient before death are likely related to Shamonda virus infection. Clinical, laboratory, and epidemiological investigations continue to confirm infection details and its association with symptoms.
Although the Shamonda virus has circulated in Africa and Asia for decades, human infections had never been recorded before. This case is therefore exceptionally rare, occurring in a patient with severe immunodeficiency.
French public health authorities emphasize that, based on current knowledge, there is no indication of health risks to the general public from this virus. They have informed the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Investigations continue under the 'One Health' framework, integrating human, animal, and environmental health expertise to understand the virus's origin and transmission routes, as well as to assess potential future risks.