Man infected with Shamonda virus dies in France in first known human case

A man infected with Shamonda virus (SHAV) has died in France in the first known case of human infection. The patient died in early October. French authorities are investigating whether the virus caused or contributed to his death and how he contracted it.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has confirmed this is the first recorded human infection.

The patient was receiving treatment for a serious illness, which the European agency said made him more vulnerable to infection and complications. The ECDC is working with French authorities and other European bodies to assess the implications of the case.

The patient was treated at the Hospices Civils de Lyon and developed neurological complications which, according to the doctors who treated him, were probably related to the infection.

French authorities’ main theory is that he was infected after being bitten by a biting midge of the Culicoides genus in eastern France, although the investigation is ongoing.

Virus detected on European livestock farms

Until now, Shamonda virus had been identified mainly in animals, particularly cattle, but also sheep and goats.

Cases have been reported on livestock farms in several European countries since the summer, including France, Germany, Italy, Portugal and Spain. In Spain, it has been detected in several autonomous communities, including Cantabria.

In animals, the infection can cause fever, diarrhoea, lethargy and reduced milk production. It is transmitted by biting midges of the Culicoides genus, which are generally more active from spring to autumn.

France’s Ministry of Agriculture said that no risk to the general public has been identified so far. Experts quoted by El País have also called for continued monitoring and research, while noting that a case in a seriously ill person does not show that the virus poses a risk to healthy people.