OMM Newsroom
France has detected the first known human case of Shamonda virus (Shav) in a patient who died in early October, authorities have said. Health officials described it as an “exceptional case in a severely immunocompromised patient” and said there was currently no risk to the public, according to the BBC.
The virus mainly affects cattle and can be transmitted by infected midges. Cases have also been reported in sheep, goats, alpacas and horses, but human infections had not previously been known.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said it was monitoring the situation. French officials are still investigating how the virus reached a human.
The patient is thought to have contracted Shav through a midge bite in eastern France, the country’s health and agriculture ministries said on Thursday. The virus was first identified in animals in France in the spring.
The patient was being treated for a serious illness at a hospital in Lyon and developed neurological complications that initial findings suggested were “very likely linked” to the virus, the ministries said. They added that the patient’s immune system was weakened, making them more vulnerable to illness.
“Until now, the Shamonda virus was considered non-transmissible to humans,” the statement said. The virus had been identified only in animals, despite circulating in Africa and Asia for decades.
Cattle infected with Shav through bites can develop fever and diarrhoea, and produce less milk.
The ECDC said it was working with French and European partners to investigate the “potential public health implications” of the infection. The agency said the first cases in Europe were identified in late July. The virus has since been detected in farm animals in Ireland, Germany, Italy and Spain, as well as Jersey.
The case has also been reported to the World Health Organization.
