France reports first human case of livestock virus Shamonda in patient who later died

PARIS (AP) — A first known human case of Shamonda virus infection has been detected in France, the country’s health authorities said on Thursday.

The virus was detected in a severely immunocompromised patient who was being treated for a serious illness in Lyon and died in early October.

France’s health ministry said that based on current knowledge of the virus, no public health risk to the general population has been identified to date. Until now, the Shamonda virus was considered incapable of infecting humans.

“This is therefore an exceptional case involving a severely immunocompromised patient,” according to the ministry.

Shamonda virus is transmitted to animals by biting midges. First detected in Nigeria in the mid-1960s, it has been reported sporadically in cattle in West, East and Southern Africa, as well as in Japan. It was identified for the first time in Europe this summer on cattle farms.

The patient was likely infected through a midge bite in eastern France, where the virus was reported to be circulating among animals during spring and summer, the ministry said.

French health authorities have notified international health bodies, including the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.