French health authorities have confirmed the first known human case of the Shamonda virus, a disease primarily affecting livestock, after the virus was detected in a patient who died earlier this month.
In a joint statement, France’s Ministries of Health and Agriculture said the virus had circulated in Africa and Asia for several decades but had never previously been identified in a human.
Authorities said there was currently no identified risk to the general public, describing the infection as an exceptional case involving a severely immunocompromised patient.
The World Health Organization (WHO) also assessed the likelihood of wider transmission as low. Based on available information and knowledge of closely related viruses, the organisation told Reuters that the case appeared to be isolated and was unlikely to result in wider spread at this stage.
First identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s, the insect-borne Shamonda virus belongs to the Orthobunyavirus genus and primarily affects livestock, particularly cattle. It is transmitted by Culicoides, a type of biting midge.
The virus has been detected in animals in parts of Africa and Japan for years and has spread across Europe during 2026. However, it had not previously been known to infect humans.
According to France’s Ministry of Agriculture, investigators believe the patient may have contracted the virus through a bite from an infected biting midge in eastern France. The region had reported circulation of the virus among animals during the spring and summer of 2026.
French authorities said biological, clinical and epidemiological investigations were under way, involving specialists in human, animal and environmental health. The World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control had also been notified of the case.
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