France has reported the first known human case of the Shamonda virus, an infection previously detected only in farm animals, though health authorities emphasize that the incident poses no threat to the general public.
The patient, who died in early October, had a severely weakened immune system while receiving treatment for a serious illness at a hospital in Lyon. French health and agriculture officials stated that the patient experienced neurological complications very likely linked to the virus, with initial findings suggesting the infection was contracted through a midge bite in eastern France, where animal cases first appeared in the spring.
The Shamonda virus primarily affects cattle, sheep, and goats, often causing fever, diarrhoea, and drops in milk production. Transmitted by infected midges—small biting flies—the virus has circulated in livestock across Africa and Asia for decades, but until now was considered non-transmissible to people.
Both the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control are monitoring the situation alongside French investigators. Health agencies advised that the infection appears to be an isolated case with little risk of broader spread, noting that transmission rates for midge-borne viruses naturally decline during the cooler months of the year.