French patient dies after Shamonda virus detected in human for first time

OCTOBER 22, 2026 11:56French health authorities said they had detected the Shamonda virus, which usually affects livestock, in a human for the first time, in a patient who later died, and added that they saw no risk to the general population at this stage.Shamonda virus is an insect-borne Orthobunyavirus that primarily affects livestock, particularly cattle, and is transmitted by biting midges.First identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s, it has since been detected sporadically in animals in Africa and Japan.It is possible to completely get rid of the virus (credit: SHUTTERSTOCK)Shamonda virus spreads among European countriesIt has been spreading among several European countries this year.The French government said the virus had until now been considered non-transmissible to humans.The leading hypothesis is that the patient may have been infected in eastern France, where the virus circulated among animals during spring and summer 2026.Follow us on Google