A man in France has tested positive for Shamonda virus, marking the first known human case of infection with a virus normally found in livestock. Investigations are ongoing to determine whether the virus contributed to his death.
Shamonda virus belongs to the bunyavirus family and spreads through bites from infected midges. The Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety reports that in cattle, sheep and goats, the virus causes diarrhoea, loss of appetite and reduced milk yield. It also triggers abortions and congenital abnormalities in newborn calves, lambs and kids.
The virus has been documented in animal populations but had not been recorded in humans until this case in France. The circumstances of how the man contracted the infection and the timeline of his illness remain unclear from available information. French health authorities are examining whether Shamonda virus played a role in his death or was incidental to other underlying conditions.
The detection raises questions about zoonotic transmission, the process by which animal pathogens cross into human populations. Midges, the known vectors of Shamonda virus, are found across Europe and could theoretically expose humans in regions with infected livestock. The extent to which humans are susceptible to severe illness from this virus, and whether transmission between people is possible, has not been established.