The World Health Organization (WHO) is in contact with French authorities after a patient infected with the Shamonda virus died in hospital. Further research is needed to understand how the virus is transmitted, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.
“France has reported the first documented case of human infection with the Shamonda virus, which had previously been detected only in animals,” Ghebreyesus wrote on X.
“WHO is in contact with French authorities, who are gathering information to better understand the source of infection in this first human case, the possible routes of transmission, and the potential risks to public health,” he added. “Further research is needed to gain a deeper understanding of how the infection is transmitted,” the WHO chief emphasized.
Ghebreyesus also expressed his condolences to the deceased patient’s loved ones.
The WHO director-general noted that the Shamonda virus “primarily affects animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and horses.” The virus is believed to spread among animals through the bites of biting midges — small insects resembling flies — he said.
Ghebreyesus added that the deceased patient had a weakened immune system, making him more vulnerable to infection and severe illness. The patient “was in a region where the Shamonda virus was circulating among animals and where Culicoides biting midges were present.”
French authorities previously announced the first documented human case of Shamonda virus infection. The patient died in hospital in early October. According to the authorities, the virus currently poses no threat to public health.
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