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[HEALTH] · France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Belgium · 10 sources

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Part of situation: Shamonda-like orthobunyavirus spreads across Europe (22 clusters)

Shamonda virus: First human case reported in France

Shamonda virus Culicoides zoonosis Lyon Orthobunyavirus

Health authorities have confirmed the first documented human infection of the Shamonda virus following the death of a patient in Lyon, France, in early October 2026. The patient, who was over 70 years old and suffering from severe immunodeficiency, died after developing neurological complications and multi-organ failure.

Historically, the Shamonda virus—a member of the Orthobunyavirus genus—has primarily affected livestock, including cattle, sheep, and goats. It was first isolated in Nigeria in the mid-1960s and has been documented in sporadic outbreaks across Africa and Japan. In 2026, the virus emerged in Europe, with infections detected in various countries including Germany, Italy, Spain, and Belgium.

Researchers believe the virus was transmitted to the patient via the bite of a Culicoides insect, a tiny biting midge. While the case has prompted international investigations by the ECDC and WHO, experts suggest the risk to the general population remains very low, as the patient was exceptionally vulnerable. Direct person-to-person transmission is currently considered improbable.

Entities

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control · France · Hospices Civils de Lyon · Lyon · Nigeria · Tamas Bakony · Tamás Bakonyi · World Health Organization · World Organization for Animal Health

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Sources

Culicoides, un insecto de unos 2 milímetros, propaga un virus del ganado que levanta alarma entre humanos - La Opinión [laopinion.com]
El cambio climático potencia las zoonosis, como el virus shamonda [efesalud.com]
La picadura de mosquitos es la vía probable del primer contagio humano por Shamonda [www.interempresas.net]
Qué es Shamonda, el virus del ganado que se ha detectado por primera vez en una persona - Quo [quo.eldiario.es]
El Virus Shamonda: el culicoides de 2 milímetros que ya amenaza al ganado en nueve provincias [www.moncloa.com]
Ιός Shamonda: Καθησυχάζουν οι ειδικοί μετά το πρώτο κρούσμα σε άνθρωπο [www.reader.gr]
First Human Case of Shamonda Virus Reported in France; Patient Dies [world-today-journal.com]
Shamonda: Ο ιός των ζώων που σκότωσε πρώτη φορά άνθρωπο [odelalis.gr]
EU Agency Assesses Shamonda Virus Risk After First Human Case in France – Daily Digest – News, Craic & Everything in Between [dailydigest.ie]
Ιός Shamonda: Τι δηλώνουν οι ειδικοί μετά το πρώτο ανθρώπινο κρούσμα στη Γαλλία [cretaone.gr]