First Human Case of Shamonda Virus Confirmed in France

French health authorities confirmed the first documented human infection with the Shamonda virus, an insect-borne disease affecting livestock, after a severely immunocompromised patient died at a hospice in Lyon in early October. The French Ministries of Health and Agriculture announced this exceptional case on October 22, noting that Shamonda had never been detected in humans before, despite its circulation among animals in Africa and Asia for decades.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the neurological complications experienced by the patient were very likely linked to the Shamonda virus infection. However, authorities emphasized that clinical, biological, and epidemiological investigations are ongoing.

They stated there is currently no identified health risk to the general population, as the infection occurred in a severely immunocompromised individual already undergoing treatment for a serious medical condition. The World Health Organisation and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control have been notified of the case.