Severely Immunocompromised Patient Dies as First Human Shamonda Virus Case Confirmed in France

A severely immunocompromised patient in eastern France, who died earlier this month, has been confirmed as the first human infected with the Shamonda virus. The infection was linked to a bite from a midge, the same insect that spread the virus among livestock in the region during spring and summer. Health and Agriculture Ministries said the case is “exceptional” and that no health risk to the general public has been identified so far. The ministries added that neurological complications observed before death are very likely tied to the virus, based on preliminary findings. The virus, part of the Orthobunyavirus group, has been circulating in European cattle since it was first detected on farms in France at the end of July and now appears in 14 western European countries. Cattle are the main hosts, showing symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea and reduced milk output; sporadic infections have also been seen in smaller livestock and horses. Ongoing clinical, biological and epidemiological investigations involve the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, both of which have been notified. ## Context The detection underscores how viruses that affect animals can occasionally cross to humans, especially in vulnerable individuals, and highlights the importance of surveillance in livestock to catch such spill‑over events early.