France reports first-ever human case of Shamonda virus

French health authorities have confirmed the world's first documented human case of the Shamonda virus (SHAV), a midge-borne pathogen that primarily affects cattle. The patient, who was severely immunocompromised, was being treated for a serious illness at a hospital in Lyon and passed away in early October. While the virus has been known to circulate among animals in Africa and Asia for decades, and was identified in European livestock during the spring and summer of 2026, this remains the only reported case of human infection.

According to a joint statement from the French Ministries of Health and Agriculture, the patient likely contracted the virus via a bite from a Culicoides midge in eastern France. Investigations suggest that the neurological complications observed before the patient's death were likely linked to the infection. Officials have emphasized that this is an isolated, exceptional case and that there is no current risk to the general population.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is monitoring the situation closely and working with French authorities. Further clinical, laboratory, and epidemiological studies are currently underway using the 'One Health' approach to determine the precise role the virus played in the patient’s death and to assess any potential future public health impacts.