On Thursday, the health authorities in shared that the Shamonda virus has been detected in a human for the first time. The rare case has been detected in a patient with severely compromised immunity levels, who died earlier in October, reported AFP.
The health and agriculture ministries assured that “no health risk to the general public” has been identified in a joint statement. It added that the human infection seems to be “an exceptional case involving a severely immunocompromised patient” who was hospitalised for a serious medical condition.
“Despite circulating in Africa and Asia for several decades, the Shamonda virus has never previously been detected in humans,” the ministries said, quoting the agency.
Shamonda virus typically affects . It belongs to the Orthobunyavirus group.
Shamonda virus is typically transmitted to animals via small biting insects. It was first detected in this summer, as per the authorities.
The patient reportedly contracted the virus through the bite of a midge in eastern France, where the virus was circulating in animals during the spring and summer, the ministries said.
“The neurological complications observed in the immunocompromised patient prior to his death are very likely linked to infection with the Shamonda virus,” as per the authorities, based on preliminary findings.
But “clinical, biological and epidemiological investigations are still ongoing”, they added
