France Reports First Human Case of Shamonda Virus After Patient Dies

French health authorities have reported the first known human case of the Shamonda virus after a patient infected with the livestock-associated disease died, raising new questions about the virus’s potential to affect humans.

However, authorities say there is currently no identified risk to the general population, according to a report by The Independent published on Thursday, October 22, 2026.

The virus, which primarily affects livestock, particularly cattle, is transmitted by biting midges and belongs to a group of viruses known as orthobunyaviruses.

The French government had previously considered the virus incapable of infecting humans, making the latest detection a significant development in the monitoring of emerging infectious diseases.

Authorities suspect the patient may have contracted the virus in eastern France, where it had been circulating among animals during the spring and summer of 2026.

First identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s, the Shamonda virus has since been detected sporadically in animals in parts of Africa and Japan. It has also spread across several European countries this year.

The circumstances surrounding the patient’s infection and the precise route of transmission have not been fully established in the initial report.

The case comes as veterinary authorities continue monitoring the virus’s spread among livestock in Europe.