World's First Human Shamonda Virus Case Reported in France: Reports

French health authorities have reported what they described as the world's first documented human infection with the Shamonda virus, following the death of a severely immunocompromised patient in early October 2026. The patient was undergoing treatment for a serious illness in Lyon, France. Preliminary investigations suggested that neurological complications observed before the patient's death were very likely associated with the infection. Authorities suspect that the virus was transmitted through the bite of an infected Culicoides midge in eastern France.

First detected in Nigeria during the mid-1960s, the Shamonda virus primarily affects animals and has previously been identified in cattle across parts of Africa and Japan. Despite decades of circulation, no human infections had been officially documented before this case. French authorities described the incident as exceptional, emphasising that no risk to the general population has been identified. The World Health Organization and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control have been notified, according to a China Daily report.