Shamonda Virus Seen in Animals in France Detected in a Human for the First Time

Following the identification of an infection in a patient receiving treatment in the city of Lyon, a statement was issued reporting that, in light of current information, the virus does not pose a risk to public health.

In a statement by the French Ministry of Health, it was noted that a Shamonda virus infection was detected in a patient treated at a hospital in Lyon at the beginning of the month.

The statement conveyed that the virus has been considered absent in humans until now, and that the case in Lyon is the first case detected in humans and announced to the public.

The statement expressed that, based on current scientific data, the virus does not pose any risk to public health. It was reported that authorities are focusing on the possibility that the deceased patient may have been infected as a result of being bitten by a midge of the Culicoides genus.

First detected in Nigeria in the 1960s, the Shamonda virus was later observed in cattle in Africa and Japan in subsequent years. The first cases of the virus in Europe were reported this year.

It was stated that cases of the Shamonda virus were encountered in animals in eastern France during the summer months.

Main symptoms of the virus, which is predominantly seen in cattle, include diarrhea, fatigue, and fever.