The Shamonda virus, which usually affects livestock, has been detected in 14 European countries, according to an epidemiological bulletin from France’s national research institute for animal health, as reported by AFP.
The virus was detected in Europe for the first time at the end of July.
It was first detected in Nigeria in the mid-1960s and has since been reported in cattle in several parts of Africa and in Japan.
However, French health authorities said Thursday that the virus had been detected in a human for the first time, in a severely immunocompromised patient who died earlier this month.
Cattle are considered its main animal hosts, although sporadic infections in smaller livestock and horses have also been identified in France this summer.
In cattle, the main symptoms are acute diarrhoea, fever, lethargy and a drop in milk production.
An investigation is ongoing, and both the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control have been notified.
While responding to the outbreak, France’s health and agriculture ministries said in a joint statement that there was “no health risk to the general public identified at this time”.
It added that the human infection appeared to be “an exceptional case involving a severely immunocompromised patient” hospitalised for a serious medical condition.
“Despite circulating in Africa and Asia for several decades, the Shamonda virus has never previously been detected in humans,” the ministries said.
The virus, which belongs to the Orthobunyavirus group and is typically transmitted to animals by small biting insects, was first detected in Europe this summer, they said.
At this stage in the investigation, the patient was believed to have contracted the virus through the bite of a midge in eastern France, where the virus was circulating in animals during the spring and summer, the ministries said.
“The neurological complications observed in the immunocompromised patient before his death are very likely linked to infection with the Shamonda virus,” they added, citing preliminary findings.
But “clinical, biological and epidemiological investigations are still ongoing”, they said.
AFP
Shamonda virus is an insect-borne virus that primarily affects livestock, and human infections are considered rare. While the risk to the general public may be low, people should follow guidance from local health authorities, use insect repellent, wear protective clothing in areas with biting insects, and seek medical advice if they feel unwell after a possible exposure.
