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France has documented the world’s first confirmed case of human infection with Shamonda virus, which was previously considered incapable of infecting humans.
The infection was detected in a severely immunocompromised patient receiving treatment for a serious illness in Lyon. The patient died in early October. However, specialists have not yet established whether the virus caused or contributed to the death.
French health authorities and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) announced the case on October 22.
Shamonda virus (SHAV) belongs to the orthobunyavirus group. It was first identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s and has since been detected periodically in cattle across parts of Africa and Japan. No human infections had previously been documented.
How the patient may have been infected
The leading hypothesis is transmission through the bite of a blood-feeding midge belonging to the Culicoides genus.
These insects transmit Shamonda virus among animals. French authorities believe the patient may have been infected in eastern France, where the virus circulated actively among animals during the spring and summer of 2026.
Researchers are still investigating which species of Culicoides may be capable of transmitting the virus to humans.
The patient had a severe immune deficiency, making him particularly vulnerable to infections and their complications.
Before his death, he developed serious neurological complications. French specialists’ preliminary findings suggest that the brain damage observed in the patient was highly likely to be associated with Shamonda virus infection.
The investigation is ongoing, and experts must still determine whether the virus directly caused the death or aggravated the patient’s pre-existing serious illness.
Shamonda virus detected in Europe this summer
Before 2026, Shamonda virus had not been detected in Europe. In late July, it was identified in cattle on farms in France, Germany and Switzerland. Infected cows showed symptoms including fever, lethargy, diarrhea and reduced milk production.
The virus subsequently spread among livestock in Europe.
As of October 22, the ECDC reported detections in animals in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland, as well as on the island of Jersey.
Cattle are considered the virus’s main natural hosts, although isolated cases were also detected this summer in small ruminants and horses in France.
Does the virus pose a risk to other people?
French authorities and the ECDC currently see no evidence that Shamonda poses a significant risk to the general population. Before this case, no human infections had been documented despite decades of circulation in Africa and Asia.
There is also currently no evidence of human-to-human transmission.
France has notified the World Health Organization and the ECDC. European specialists are strengthening laboratory surveillance and testing capacity to help detect any additional potential cases.
