What is Shamonda virus? How is it transmitted? ECDC monitoring situation as France reports first, rare human case
France has reported the first human case of Shamonda virus in a patient who was reported to be with severely compromised immunity levels. The patient has died earlier this month.
The Shamonda virus, a rare and uncommon human infection, was first detected in France earlier this fall. The patient, with severely compromised immunity, succumbed to the virus in October. Authorities have assured the public that there is no health risk to the general population. The virus, which primarily affects livestock such as cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas, and horses, has never previously been found in humans, despite circulating in Africa and Asia for decades.
It is transmitted to animals through the bite of small biting insects and was likely contracted by the French patient via a midge bite in eastern France. The patient's neurological complications prior to death are strongly linked to the Shamonda virus infection. Symptoms of the virus include fever, diarrhea, fatigue, and a reduction in milk production.
The Shamonda virus was first identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s and has since been detected in various parts of Africa and Japan. This year, it has begun spreading among European countries.
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