First human death from animal Shamonda virus reported in France

A patient in France has died after contracting the Shamonda virus, marking the first known human case of the infection, several news outlets reported on Thursday. The Irish Examiner, BBC News, and the Irish Times all reported that the patient died in early October. French authorities said the infection was an exceptional case in a severely immunocompromised person and presented no health risk to the general public at this stage. [1][2][4][9][10][12]

The Irish Examiner reported that the patient was a man in his sixties who was being treated at Hospices civils de Lyon for a serious illness that left him severely immunosuppressed. According to the BBC News and Irish Times reports, the Shamonda virus is transmitted by biting midges and primarily affects livestock, particularly cattle. It has also been detected in sheep, goats, alpacas, and horses. [1][2][4]

The Irish Examiner, BBC News, and Irish Times reported that international bodies are monitoring the case. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organization are following the situation, with investigations under way into how the virus affected the patient. Independent.ie noted that the virus had also been detected in animals in Ireland over recent months. [1][2][4][5]