What Is the Shamonda Virus? France’s First Human Case Explained

On October 22, 2026, France’s health and agriculture ministries announced something that had never happened before: a human infected with Shamonda virus. The virus has been known to scientists since the 1960s, but only ever in animals. A man in his 60s from the Lyon area died in early October with neurological complications that officials said were “very likely linked” to the virus. Here is what the virus actually is, what happened in France, and what health officials are saying about it.

What is the Shamonda virus?

Shamonda virus is an animal virus. The World Organisation for Animal Health describes it as a vector-borne RNA virus in the genus Orthobunyavirus, part of the Simbu serogroup — the same group that includes Schmallenberg virus, another virus that affects livestock.

It spreads through biting midges, tiny flying insects in the Culicoides group. There is no evidence of it passing directly from cattle to humans, or from person to person.

How long has it been around?

Shamonda virus is not new. It was first isolated from cattle in Nigeria in 1965 and was later found sporadically in parts of Africa and, from the early 2000s, in Japan.

It reached Europe much later. In late July 2026, genomic tests confirmed it in sick cattle in southern Germany, Switzerland, and eastern France — the first time it had been found in European livestock. Since then it has been detected in more than 14 western European countries, including Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and Jersey.

Scientists have identified two variants circulating in Europe: SHAV-EU1, found in southern Germany, Switzerland, France, Austria, and northern Italy; and SHAV-EU2, found in northwestern Germany and the Netherlands.

Which animals does it affect?

Cattle are the main host, but the virus has also been found in sheep, goats, horses, and alpacas. In animals, the reported signs include:

• Fever
• Diarrhoea
• Lethargy
• A drop in milk production
• Reproductive and fetal complications in pregnant animals

There is no commercial vaccine for Shamonda virus, and it is not covered by EU Animal Health Law surveillance, which is why it moved through European livestock for some time before being identified.

What happened in France?

On October 22, 2026, France’s health and agriculture ministries reported the first documented human case. The patient was a man in his 60s from the Lyon area who was already in hospital for an unrelated serious illness and was severely immunocompromised. He died in early October with neurological complications that French officials said were “very likely linked” to the virus.

The leading hypothesis is that he was bitten by an infected midge in eastern France, where the virus had been circulating among animals through the spring and summer of 2026. That route has not been confirmed. It is also not yet settled whether the virus caused the death or contributed to it — the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control says this is “not yet established.”

Is there a risk to people?

Health officials are clear on this point. The World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control are in contact with the French authorities, and all of them — plus the French government — say that no health risk to the general population has been identified. The case is considered isolated.

A few important unknowns remain. The World Organisation for Animal Health says the virus’s zoonotic potential — how likely it is to infect healthy humans — is “incompletely characterised.” There is no established set of human symptoms, because this is the only human case ever recorded. There have been no cases in the United States.

Frequently asked questions

Can humans catch Shamonda virus?

Only one human case has ever been documented: a severely immunocompromised man in France. Health officials, including the WHO and ECDC, say no risk to the general population has been identified, and there is no evidence of the virus passing between people.

Is there a vaccine?

There is no commercial vaccine for Shamonda virus in animals, and none for humans. The animal vaccine that does not exist matters mostly for farmers and veterinarians trying to protect livestock.

How does it spread?

It is transmitted by biting midges (the Culicoides group of insects). There is no evidence of direct transmission from cattle to humans or between humans.

Was this a new virus in 2026?

No. It was first identified in cattle in Nigeria in 1965 and has been known in parts of Africa and Japan for decades. What is new is its spread through western Europe in 2026 and the first recorded human case in France that October.

Should people in the US be worried?

There have been no US cases. The WHO, the ECDC, and the French government all describe the single French case as isolated and say no general-population risk has been identified.