- France reports world's first human Shamonda virus case.
- Immunocompromised patient died; WHO investigates infection's role.
- Virus, previously livestock-only, spread by biting midges.
France has reported the first documented human infection with the Shamonda virus, a virus previously only detected in livestock. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that the patient, who was severely immunocompromised, has died. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed his condolences while medical teams conduct thorough investigations to determine whether the infection caused or contributed to the individual's death.
#France has reported the first documented case of a human infection with #Shamonda virus, a virus only previously detected in animals. The patient was immunocompromised, which made them more vulnerable to infection and severe disease, and unfortunately died. My heartfelt condolences to their loved ones. Shamonda virus primarily affects animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and horses. The virus is thought to spread between animals by the bites of a midge, which is a small fly-like insect. Further studies are needed to fully understand transmission. The French patient was in an area where the Shamonda virus was circulating in animals and where Culicoides midges were also present. @WHO is in contact with French authorities who are collecting information to better understand the source of infection in the first human patient, possible routes of transmission and any potential risk to public health.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) October 22, 2026
How Did The Patient Contract The Shamonda Virus?
French health authorities stated that the leading hypothesis is that the patient acquired the infection in eastern France, a region where the virus actively circulated among farm animals during spring and summer. Officials emphasise that no health risk to the general public has been identified so far.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said it is carefully monitoring the situation in close coordination with French authorities and European partners to confirm the exact route of exposure and establish whether the Shamonda virus directly contributed to the patient's death.
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What Is The Shamonda Virus And How Does It Spread?
The Shamonda virus is an animal-borne virus transmitted primarily by the bites of midges, a small fly-like insect. It is most commonly found in cattle, but according to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), it has also been detected in horses, alpacas, sheep, and goats.
First discovered and identified in Nigeria during the mid-1960s, the virus was confirmed on European soil for the first time in late July after genomic testing detected it in sick cattle across southern Germany, Switzerland, and eastern France.
Reports from France's weekly animal health surveillance bulletin show the virus has since expanded across the continent to Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Jersey, a British Crown Dependency.
Shamonda Virus Symptoms In Animals And Humans
In cattle, Shamonda virus infection can cause symptoms including high fever, severe lethargy, and diarrhoea.
The infection also carries a major economic impact for dairy farms, as infected dairy cows may experience a significant drop in milk production. A study conducted across nine dairy farms in France revealed that milk production dropped by up to 75 per cent in affected herds.
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As the French patient represents the world's first documented case, there is currently no established standard set of human symptoms.
Is There A Risk To Humans?
While this first human case represents a significant shift in monitoring a virus previously known to affect animals, public health agencies reiterate that there is no indication of widespread risk to the general public.
According to WOAH, there are currently no commercially available vaccines against the Shamonda virus for either humans or animals. Investigations into the case, the exact circumstances of the infection, and its overall implications for human health remain underway.
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