Health & Science · October 22, 2026
First Human Case of Livestock Virus Shamonda Reported
Health authorities in France have reported the first known human case of Shamonda virus (SHAV), a bunyavirus typically found in livestock. The patient, a man in his 60s from the Lyon area, was severely immunocompromised and died in early October while being treated for a separate serious illness. The virus is primarily transmitted to animals like cattle, sheep, and goats by biting midges. While it was first identified in Nigeria in the 1960s, it only emerged in European livestock this past summer. Investigations are currently underway to determine if the virus contributed to the patient's death, though health officials state there is currently no public health risk to the general population.
Read the original coverage
- MedPage TodayTrade
First Human Case of Livestock Virus Shamonda Reported
Read at MedPage Today ↗ - The GuardianMainstream
Shamonda virus detected in human for first time in France
Read at The Guardian ↗ - PBS NewsNonprofit
France reports first human case of livestock virus Shamonda in patient who later died
Read at PBS News ↗ - CNNMainstream
France reports first human case of livestock virus Shamonda after patient dies | CNN
Read at CNN ↗ - Washington TimesMainstream
French officials report first fatal human case of Shamonda virus, normally found in livestock
Read at Washington Times ↗
Reported by multiple outlets
- A man in France is the first recorded human case of Shamonda virus.
- The patient was severely immunocompromised and died in early October.
- Shamonda virus is a bunyavirus transmitted by biting midges.
- The virus was first detected in European livestock during the summer of 2026.
- Health authorities currently assess no risk to the general population.
- The virus was previously believed to be incapable of infecting humans.
Reported by only some outlets
- The patient was in his 60s and from the Lyon area.
- The virus has been linked to neurological symptoms in horses in Switzerland and Germany.
- In livestock, the virus causes symptoms including diarrhea, decreased milk yield, and congenital abnormalities.
- The virus was first detected in Nigeria in the 1960s and has been found in Africa and Japan.
What the evidence actually shows
French health authorities and the ECDC found that a severely immunocompromised patient in Lyon had contracted Shamonda virus, a livestock bunyavirus previously thought to only infect animals like cattle and sheep. The virus, transmitted by midges, was present in the patient who died in early October, but officials state it remains an exceptional case with no evidence of a wider threat to the general public.
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