The Shamonda virus, an orthobunyavirus typically found in livestock, has been detected in a human for the first time following the death of a severely immunocompromised patient in France. French health authorities and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) confirmed that while the virus is circulating in European farm animals, the risk to the general public remains low.
Clinical Findings in France
The infection was identified in a patient who died in early October after being hospitalized for a serious underlying illness. According to a joint statement from French health and agriculture ministries, the patient’s neurological complications prior to death were likely linked to the virus. Preliminary investigations suggest the patient contracted the virus through a midge bite in eastern France, where the virus has been circulating among animals since the spring. Officials stated that this case appears to be an exceptional instance involving a patient with a compromised immune system, and they currently identify no health risk to the wider public.
Virus Transmission Among Livestock
The Shamonda virus, first identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s, began appearing in European farm animals this past summer. By late July, it was confirmed in cattle across multiple countries, including France, Belgium, Germany, and Switzerland. In Ireland, the Department of Agriculture confirmed the virus was detected in cattle samples from two farms in County Cork, marking the first time the emergent virus has been identified in the country.
Infected cattle typically exhibit symptoms such as fever, diarrhea, lethargy, and reduced milk production. The virus spreads primarily through the bites of small midges. While these insects are active from spring through autumn, the ECDC noted that midge activity is currently declining across Europe due to cooling temperatures.
Ongoing Public Health Investigations
The ECDC is monitoring the situation in close coordination with the European Commission, the European Food Safety Authority, and French authorities. Experts emphasize that the discovery does not indicate a new, widespread human health threat. Dr. Ben Brennan, group leader and senior lecturer at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, stated that because the patient had a serious underlying illness, it is not yet clear if the virus contributed to the death or if it poses a significant risk to healthy individuals.
Professor Paul Hunter of the University of East Anglia noted that while person-to-person transmission is considered extremely unlikely, researchers are continuing to investigate the patient’s contacts to ensure no further spread has occurred. Clinical and epidemiological investigations remain ongoing to better understand the virus’s ability to affect humans and whether it can evolve within immunocompromised hosts.
Is the Shamonda Virus a Risk to the Average Person?
Is the Shamonda virus a risk to the average person? Experts say the risk is low. The virus is primarily a livestock disease spread by midge bites, and there is currently no evidence of sustained transmission between humans.
Where has the virus been found in Europe? Since July, the virus has been detected in farm animals in 14 western European countries, including Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Switzerland.
What are the symptoms in cattle? Infected cattle may show signs of fever, acute diarrhea, lethargy, and a noticeable drop in milk yield. The Department of Agriculture in Ireland initiated investigations after such drops were reported on dairy farms.