What is Shamonda virus? How is it transmitted? ECDC monitoring situation as France reports first, rare human case

The health authorities in France on Thursdaysaid that the Shamonda virus infection has been detected in a human for the first time. The rare case has been detected in a patient with severely compromised immunity levels, who died earlier in October, reported AFP.Shamonda virus: No health risk to public, say French authoritiesThe health and agriculture ministries assured in a joint statement that "no health risk to the general public" has been identified.

It added that the human infection seems to be "an exceptional case involving a severely immunocompromised patient" who was hospitalised for a serious medical condition."Despite circulating in Africa and Asia for several decades, the Shamonda virus has never previously been detected in humans," the ministries said, as per the report.What is the Shamonda virus?Shamonda virus typically affects livestock, particularly cattle.

It belongs to the Orthobunyavirus group, the same group of viruses as Schmallenberg virus (SBV).While the disease has reportedly been observed mainly in cattle, it can also be found in sheep, goats, alpacas and horses across European countries.How Shamonda virus can be transmittedShamonda virus is typically transmitted to animals via small biting insects. It was first detected in Europe this summer, as per the authorities.The patient reportedly contracted the virus through the bite of a midge in eastern France, where the virus was circulating in animals during the spring and summer, the ministries said."The neurological complications observed in the immunocompromised patient prior to his death are very likely linked to infection with the Shamonda virus," as per the authorities, based on preliminary findings.But "clinical, biological and epidemiological investigations are still ongoing", they added.Symptoms of Shamonda virusShamonda virus symptoms can include fever, diarrhoea, fatigue and a reduction in milk production, as per the UK’s Animal and Plant Health Agency.However, the virus is not fatal for cattle, according to the Independent, citing the British Agriculture Bureau.History of livestock viruses in EuropeThe Shamonda virus was first identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s.

Since then, the virus has been detected in animals in Africa and Japan. However, it is spreading across several European countries this year.Despite its previous circulation in Africa and Asia, the virus has now only been seen in Europe over the summer. For the unversed, no human cases of the Shamonda virus had ever been documented anywhere in the world until now in France.