France detects first human Shamonda infection in patient who later died

France reported the first documented human infection with Shamonda virus on October 22, after detecting it in a hospital patient who later died. Previously known to affect animals, the virus is now the subject of clinical, biological and epidemiological investigations.

The man had severe immune suppression and was receiving treatment for a serious illness at Hospices Civils de Lyon, a hospital system in southeastern France. He died in early October. Authorities have not disclosed his age or identity.

Investigators examine the link to his death

French authorities said the patient's brain complications were very probably linked to the infection. Whether Shamonda caused or contributed to his death remains under investigation, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the European public-health agency.

Experts in human, animal and environmental health are working on the case. They are also investigating how the man became infected.

The leading hypothesis is that an infected biting midge of the genus Culicoides infected him in eastern France. The virus circulated among animals there during spring and summer, but the patient's route of infection has not been confirmed.

No public-health risk identified so far

France's health and agriculture ministries said no health risk to the general population had been identified, based on current knowledge. They described the infection as an exceptional case in a patient with a severely weakened immune system.

Authorities also said human-to-human transmission had not been observed so far. The ECDC is monitoring the situation with French authorities and European partners to assess the possible public-health implications.

A livestock virus newly detected in Europe

Shamonda was first identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s. It had since been reported sporadically in parts of Africa and in Japan before being detected in Europe this summer.

The virus spreads among animals through biting midges, small blood-feeding flies. It mainly affects cattle, though it has also been found in horses, sheep, goats and alpacas, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health.

In cattle, infection can bring fever, acute diarrhoea and a sharp drop in milk production. Pregnant cows can lose their pregnancies or give birth to calves with malformations.

No commercially available vaccines against Shamonda exist, the animal-health organisation said. Investigators have yet to establish how this first documented human infection occurred or what role it played in the patient's death.