French health authorities have confirmed the first recorded human death from the Shamonda virus, an insect-borne disease that primarily affects livestock. The patient, who was being treated at Hospices Civils de Lyon, died after contracting the virus, marking the first known human fatality from the disease.
Exceptional Case in Immunocompromised Patient
The authorities stated they currently see no risk to the general population. The Shamonda virus is an Orthobunyavirus transmitted by biting midges, particularly affecting cattle. The Ministry of Agriculture described the case as "an exceptional case involving a severely immunocompromised patient."
The leading hypothesis is that the patient was bitten by a Culicoides type midge in eastern France, where the virus had been circulating among animals during spring and summer 2026. Investigations suggest that the cerebral complications observed in the patient before death were "very likely linked to infection with the Shamonda virus."
Investigations and International Notification
Clinical, biological, and epidemiological investigations are ongoing, involving expertise in human, animal, and environmental health. Despite decades of circulation in Africa and Asia, no human cases had been documented until now. French health authorities have notified the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
First detected in Nigeria in the mid-1960s, the disease has been reported sporadically in cattle across West, East, and Southern Africa, as well as in Japan. This summer marked its first detection in Europe, including on cattle farms in France.
Spread Across Europe
In August, the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) reported that cattle in Jersey showed clinical signs consistent with the virus and tested positive. The agency noted: "This confirms the virus is present in the British Isles and in close proximity to Great Britain, highlighting the potential for further spread across north-west Europe." Cases were also reported in southern Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands.
Cattle are considered the primary host, though sporadic infections in small ruminants and equines were also reported in France. In infected adult cattle, symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, watery or loose diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort, with dairy cows typically experiencing a sharp drop in milk production.
