Patient dies of Shamonda virus in first ever human case recorded

France has reported its first human case of the Shamonda virus (SHAV) in a patient who has died.

SHAV is an insect-borne Orthobunyavirus transmitted by biting midges, who infect livestock, particularly cattle, causing fever, diarrhoea and poor milk production.

The French government said, until now, Shav had been considered non-transmissible to humans.

In a statement, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said it is ‘carefully monitoring the situation’ following the patient’s death in October.

The ‌ECDC ⁠noted the victim had been receiving treatment for a serious illness that made them more susceptible to infection than the general population.

It added that ‘based on the knowledge available regarding this virus, no health risk to the general population has been identified to date’.

France has reported its first human case of the Shamonda virus (SHAV) in a patient who has died (Getty Stock Images)

"Investigations into whether the virus caused or contributed to the patient’s death and how the infection was acquired ⁠are ongoing," the ‌ECDC’s statement continued.

The World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) said there are no commercially available vaccines against Shamonda virus.

Dr Ben Brennan, Group Leader and Senior Lecturer, MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, called it ‘an important scientific finding’, as reported by the Science Media Centre.

“However, it is important to put this into perspective. The patient had a serious underlying illness that left them particularly vulnerable to infections, and we do not yet know whether Shamonda virus contributed to their death,” Dr Brennan adds.

The ECDC said 'no health risk to the general population has been identified to date' (Getty Stock Images)

“Finding a virus in a severely immunocompromised patient does not necessarily mean it poses a significant risk to otherwise healthy individuals.

“At present, there is no evidence that Shamonda virus causes widespread human disease, although further investigation is needed to understand its ability to infect people.

“French public health authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the infection, including how the patient was exposed and whether the virus played any role in their illness or death. Until those investigations are complete, it would be premature to draw firm conclusions.”

Dr Brennan said that based on what we know, ‘there is no reason for the general UK public to be unduly concerned’.

“This is a single reported human infection in someone who was already seriously ill and immunocompromised, despite the virus having circulated in animals for many years,” he explained.

“There is currently no evidence of sustained transmission between humans, and the virus is normally spread through biting midges rather than everyday contact between people.

“While this discovery warrants further scientific investigation and continued surveillance, it does not currently suggest a significant new public health threat to the UK. For most people, there is no reason to change their normal activities or take additional precautions.”