France confirms first human case of Shamonda virus

French health authorities have confirmed the first known human infection with the Shamonda virus, a disease previously associated with livestock, following the death of a severely immunocompromised patient.

According to a report by PUNCH on Thursday, October 22, the patient died earlier this month after being hospitalised for a serious medical condition.

The French ministries of health and agriculture confirmed the development in a joint statement, describing the infection as unprecedented.

“Despite circulating in Africa and Asia for several decades, the Shamonda virus has never previously been detected in humans,” the ministries stated.

Authorities, however, reassured the public that the discovery did not indicate an immediate threat to public health.

They said there was “no health risk to the general public identified at this time”, adding that the human infection appeared to be “an exceptional case involving a severely immunocompromised patient” hospitalised for a serious medical condition.

The announcement marks the first documented human detection of the virus.