France Reports First Human Case of Shamonda Virus
A patient in France has died after contracting the Shamonda virus, marking the first reported human case of the disease. The virus, which primarily affects livestock, can cause fever, diarrhoea, and poor milk production in animals.
According to French health officials, the case was an "exceptional" one, involving a severely immunocompromised patient. The World Health Organization (WHO) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) are monitoring the situation, with French authorities investigating how the virus was transmitted to the human.
The Shamonda virus is typically spread by infected midges and has been detected in various farm animals, including cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas, and horses. The ECDC stated that the case is isolated and unlikely to lead to wider spread at this time, citing the decline in transmissibility of midge-borne viruses during cooler months.
The ECDC is working with French and European partners to investigate the potential public health implications of the infection. The first cases of the virus in Europe were identified in late July, and it has since been detected in several countries, including Ireland, Germany, Italy, and Spain, as well as in Jersey.
