French Official Says Shamonda Patient’s Poor Health Led to Death

The first known person to catch Shamonda virus died in France in early October. A French health ministry official said Thursday the death was explained by the patient’s very poor health. The patient was severely immunocompromised and receiving treatment for a serious illness. The official said the unusual case did not amount to a health crisis. Investigators are still examining how the infection happened and what role, if any, it played in the death. ³

The patient was being treated in Lyon, and French health and agriculture officials suspect a bite from an infected midge in eastern France. The virus had spread among animals there in spring and summer. The patient developed neurological complications that French officials said were very likely linked to the infection. This is the first documented human infection; until now, Shamonda was known as a virus that mainly affected livestock. ^2,5

Livestock infections help explain why officials are watching the case, but they have not reported a wider human health threat. Shamonda spreads mainly through bites from tiny midges and is found chiefly in cattle. Sheep, goats, horses and alpacas can also become infected. In cattle, it can cause fever, diarrhoea and lower milk production. The virus appeared in European livestock this year, with reports from countries including Germany, France, Spain and Ireland. ^5,8

The World Health Organization said the human case was isolated and unlikely to lead to wider spread based on current information. French authorities have also said they found no risk to the general public. The WHO and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control are monitoring the situation. French investigators will continue to examine the infection and the patient’s death; the WHO has not yet made a formal risk assessment. ^5,7