France reports first human case of livestock virus Shamonda in patient who later died

French health authorities have detected the Shamonda virus in a human for the first time following the death of a patient in Lyon in early October. The patient was severely immunocompromised and receiving treatment for a serious illness. According to the French agriculture ministry, the virus had previously been considered non-transmissible to humans, making this an exceptional case. Investigations suggest that the patient's brain complications prior to death were very likely linked to the infection.

The Shamonda virus is an insect-borne Orthobunyavirus that primarily affects livestock, such as cattle, and is transmitted by biting midges, according to the Jerusalem Post. The leading hypothesis is that the patient contracted the virus through an insect bite in eastern France, where the virus circulated among animals during the spring and summer of 2026. The suspected carrier is the Culicoides midge.

French authorities stated there is currently no identified health risk to the general population. Clinical, laboratory, and epidemiological investigations are ongoing, and officials are in contact with the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Brief written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post, Times of India — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.