The first case of a human infection with the Shamonde virus has been detected in France.
In France, the first case of human infection with the Schmallenberg virus, which primarily affects cattle, has been confirmed. The infected patient from Lyon died in early October. Experts assure that there is no threat to the general population. Additional investigations are being conducted to determine the circumstances of the infection.
French authorities have confirmed the first-ever case of a human being infected with the Schmallenberg virus, which had previously been considered dangerous only for livestock. The patient, a resident of Lyon, died in early October.
The Shamonda virus was first detected in Europe this summer. It belongs to a group of viruses transmitted through mosquito bites, and has previously primarily affected cattle. This year, isolated cases of infection in small rodents and horses were also reported in France.
According to the French Ministry of Agriculture, the deceased patient had a severe immunodeficiency and was undergoing treatment for a serious illness at the Hospices Civils de Lyon hospital. The neurological complications observed in the patient were highly likely to be caused by a Shamona virus infection. Currently, there is no indication of a threat to the health of the general population.
Clinical, laboratory, and epidemiological studies are being conducted in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The aim is to determine whether the virus was the cause of death for the patient or merely contributed to it, as well as to identify the mode of transmission. The Shamonda virus was first identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s. Since then, it has been sporadically detected in cattle in West, East, and Southern Africa, as well as in Japan. This summer, it was first detected in Western Europe.