- French health authorities have confirmed the first known human case of the insect-borne Shamonda virus, although they currently reassure the public that there is no risk to the general population.
- The patient subsequently died after likely contracting the virus in eastern France, where it had been circulating among animals throughout the spring and summer of 2026.
- Previously considered non-transmissible to humans, the virus was first identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s and primarily affects livestock, including cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and alpacas.
- Transmitted by biting midges, the disease causes sudden fever, abdominal discomfort, abortions, and potential congenital defects in livestock, with recent cases reported in Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, and Jersey.
- There is currently no vaccine available for the Shamonda virus, which has been spreading across several European countries after being detected in Germany in August.
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