France reports a human infection with Shamonda, a livestock virus, in a patient who died

As of 8:27 a.m. ET, Friday, Oct. 23, 2026

French authorities have reported a human infection with Shamonda virus, a virus that until now had been found only in animals, in a severely immunocompromised patient who died in early October, according to France's agriculture ministry and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

The patient was being treated for a serious illness at the Hospices civils de Lyon, the ministry said. It described the case as "the first documented and reported detection of the virus in a human," and said that in light of current knowledge, no health risk to the general population had been identified. (Translated from French by GROKsiNEWS.com.)

ECDC said Thursday, Oct. 22, that it was "carefully monitoring the situation after the French authorities announced the first ever reported human infection with Shamonda virus."

Was the virus linked to the death?

The two sources describe that question differently. ECDC said: "Investigations into whether the virus caused or contributed to the patient's death and how the infection was acquired are ongoing."

The French ministry said that, according to investigations so far, brain complications seen in the patient before death were very probably linked to the Shamonda infection. It said the working hypothesis is that the patient was infected through the bite of a midge in eastern France. (Translated from French by GROKsiNEWS.com.)

The virus in animals

ECDC said the human infection follows "the first ever detection of SHAV in European farm animals in summer 2026." It said the virus has since been detected in farm animals in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland, as well as Jersey. Cattle are considered the main hosts, the French ministry said.

ECDC said the patient was receiving treatment for a serious illness that made them more susceptible to infection and complications than the general population. It said the activity of most biting midge species is declining in Europe as temperatures cool.

What is not known

ECDC said how the infection was acquired is still under investigation, and that the specific midge species involved is unknown.