An exceptional human case
France has recorded the first known human infection with Shamonda virus, a disease primarily found in livestock. The virus was identified in a patient who died in early October, according to the BBC and NOS.
French authorities described the infection as an exceptional case involving a patient whose immune system had already been weakened by another condition. Investigators have not determined whether Shamonda virus caused the death. They are also examining how the infection occurred, which appears to have been in eastern France.
European livestock outbreaks
Shamonda virus was first detected in Nigerian cattle in the 1960s and was subsequently found in Africa, Australia and Japan. Europe’s first reported livestock outbreaks began in July, with cases in cattle in southern Germany, Switzerland and eastern France. Other countries, including the Netherlands and Belgium, later reported infections.
The European strain, officially designated SHAV-EU, differs from the previously known form of the virus. Shamonda can cause diarrhoea, fever, abortions and reduced milk production in cattle. Horses can develop symptoms resembling damage to the nervous system, while sheep, goats and alpacas are also susceptible. The disease is transmitted through bites from small midges, and no vaccine is available.
No identified public risk
France’s agriculture and health ministries said current knowledge of the virus indicates no health risk to the general population. The ECDC is monitoring the situation, developing additional testing capacity and offering member states support in tracking livestock outbreaks.
The ECDC said the midges involved are most prevalent in spring, summer and autumn, making further spread less likely during colder months. The World Organisation for Animal Health has said it is too early to determine whether SHAV-EU will follow the same seasonal pattern as other forms of the virus.