A patient infected with the Shamonda virus has died in France. According to Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), this is the first confirmed case of the virus being transmitted to a human. Previously, the infection had only been detected in animals, including cattle, horses, and sheep.<\/p>\n
According to a joint statement from France\u2019s ministries of health and agriculture, the patient had severe immunodeficiency and was already receiving treatment at a hospital in Lyon for another serious medical condition. The patient died in early October. Official authorities say that, at this stage, the virus does not pose a threat to the general population.<\/p>\n
What is known about the virus and its spread?<\/p>\n
The Shamonda virus was first discovered in cattle in Nigeria in 1965. For decades, it circulated in Africa and Asia, including Japan. Earlier this year, a similar strain, with a 90% identical genome, was detected for the first time on European farms.<\/p>\n
The virus spreads among cattle through the bites of blood-sucking midges (Culicoides). According to the leading hypothesis among specialists, the patient was infected through the same route, as they had been in a region of eastern France where an outbreak of the virus in cattle was reported several months earlier.<\/p>\n
The Shamonda virus belongs to the genus Orthobunyavirus, which includes other pathogens that can be dangerous to humans, such as Oropouche virus, found in South and Central America, which can cause neurological symptoms. The World Health Organization is currently working with French specialists to determine the precise routes of transmission and assess potential public health risks.<\/p>\n