France Reports First Known Human Case of Shamonda Virus
French authorities have reported the first known human infection with Shamonda virus, or Shav, in a patient who died in early October. Officials described it as an exceptional case involving a severely immunocompromised person and said they currently see no risk to the public.
The patient was being treated for a serious illness at a hospital in Lyon. According to initial findings from France’s health and agriculture ministries, neurological complications were very likely linked to the virus. Investigators have not established how the infection occurred, but they suspect a bite from an infected midge in eastern France.
Shamonda virus primarily affects cattle and can spread through midge bites. Infected dairy herds may develop fever and diarrhoea and produce less milk. Cases have also occurred in sheep, goats, alpacas and horses. French officials said the virus had previously been considered non-transmissible to humans, despite decades of circulation in animals in Africa and Asia.
The World Health Organization confirmed that this is the first documented human case. It has not completed a formal risk assessment, but said current information and knowledge of similar viruses suggest the case is isolated and unlikely to lead to wider spread at this time. It also noted that transmission of midge-borne viruses generally declines during cooler months.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said it is working with French and European partners to examine the infection’s potential public health implications. French officials are continuing to investigate its source.
The agencies reported different dates for the virus’s emergence in European animals: French ministries said cases were identified in eastern France in the spring, while the European agency said the first European cases were identified in late July. The agency said the virus has since been detected in farm animals in Ireland, Germany, Italy and Spain, as well as in Jersey.