Virus Linked to Infected Animals and Midge Bites

France has confirmed the first known human case of the Shamonda virus after a patient died at a hospital in Lyon earlier in October 2026. The country’s health and agriculture ministries stated that no risk to the general public had been identified at the time of the announcement. Authorities believe the case involved a severely immunocompromised patient who was already hospitalised for a serious medical condition.

The Shamonda virus is a vector-borne pathogen belonging to the Orthobunyavirus genus and the Peribunyaviridae family. It is part of the Simbu group of viruses and was first isolated in cattle in Nigeria in 1965. Since then, it has been identified in parts of Africa, Asia and Europe.

The virus is believed to spread through bites from Culicoides midges, small fly-like insects. In animals such as cattle, sheep, goats, horses and alpacas, infection may cause fever, diarrhoea, reduced milk production and reproductive problems, including abortions and foetal malformations. Laboratory testing is required because these symptoms can resemble other diseases.

The French patient, who was in their sixties and had leukaemia, reportedly developed blindness and confusion before falling into a coma. Doctors detected genetic traces of the virus in cerebrospinal fluid after investigating other possible causes. Following the patient’s death, scientists sequenced the virus’s genome from brain samples and identified the European variant SHAV-EU1.

Investigations are continuing to establish the source of infection, transmission routes and possible public health implications.

No Commercial Vaccine Available; Surveillance Remains Important

According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), no commercially available vaccine currently exists for the Shamonda virus. Recommended preventive measures focus on controlling the midges responsible for transmission.

These include installing fine-mesh screens, reducing insect breeding sites, monitoring and controlling vectors around buildings, using insect repellents during animal transport and moving animals during periods of low vector activity.

The case has also renewed attention to zoonotic diseases, which arise when pathogens spread from animals to humans. Examples include COVID-19, mpox and avian influenza (H5N1). The emergence of H5N1 in dairy cattle in the United States demonstrated how infections can appear in animal species not previously recognised as transmitters.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is coordinating with French authorities to understand the Shamonda infection. Experts caution that when pathogens enter new species or spread through new routes, they may adapt over time, potentially creating opportunities for wider transmission.

However, the French case alone does not establish that the virus can spread between humans or that it poses a wider public health threat. Continued investigation, animal surveillance and vector control will be important in determining its risks.