- France confirmed the first known human infection of the Shamonda virus, a livestock disease that has been spreading across Europe since July 2026
- The patient, a man in his 60s from the Lyon area, was being treated for a serious pre-existing illness when he contracted the virus
- Both the WHO and the French government said the case appeared isolated and posed no risk to the general population at this stage
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
France has confirmed the world's first recorded human infection of the Shamonda virus, a disease primarily found in livestock, after a patient in the country died in early October following exposure to the pathogen.
French authorities said the victim, a man in his 60s living in the Lyon area, is believed to have been infected through the bite of a midge carrying the virus.
The insect-borne disease had been circulating among animals in eastern France through spring and summer before the human case emerged.
As reported by Reuters, the man had been receiving treatment for a serious underlying illness, which made him more vulnerable to infection than a healthy individual.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, which is based in Stockholm, confirmed the death and noted the patient's compromised health as a factor in the outcome.
WHO calls case isolated
The World Health Organisation said it was in direct contact with French authorities over the incident.
"Based on current information and knowledge of the transmission of closely related viruses, this is an isolated human case, and it is unlikely to lead to wider spread at this time," the Geneva-based body said.
The French government separately confirmed no health risk to the broader population had been identified.
Shamonda's spread across Europe
Shamonda virus spreads through biting midges and is most commonly found in cattle, though it has also been detected in horses, alpacas, sheep and goats, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health.
The virus was first identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s and was confirmed in Europe for the first time in late July, when genomic tests on sick cattle in southern Germany, Switzerland and eastern France returned positive results.
Since then, France's animal health surveillance reports have recorded its presence in at least a dozen other countries, including Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and the UK's Jersey.
The disease is not covered under EU Animal Health Law and carries no requirement for official surveillance or control measures in member states.
Infected cattle typically show signs including diarrhoea, weakness and loss of appetite, with fever occurring less frequently.
A study conducted across nine French dairy farms found that milk production dropped by as much as 75% in affected herds.
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Anambra, Niger and Ogun states activated emergency health measures, with over 100 persons of interest currently being traced across multiple states.
Source: Legit.ng