France has reported the first human Shamonda virus infection after the patient died in early October. Authorities are investigating the death while saying no general public health risk has been identified.France has reported the first human Shamonda virus infection after the patient died in early October.
France has reported the first-ever human case of the Shamonda virus, which is usually found in livestock. The patient died in early October, with investigations ongoing to determine whether the virus caused or contributed to the death.French authorities said the leading hypothesis is that the patient contracted the virus in eastern France, where it had circulated among animals during spring and summer.
They added that no risk to the general population has been identified so far.The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said it is closely monitoring the situation and is in contact with French authorities and European partners to investigate the potential public health implications.“The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control is carefully monitoring the situation after the French authorities announced the first ever reported human infection with Shamonda virus, a disease that has until now only affected animals,” the ECDC said in a statement. The patient had been receiving treatment for a serious illness that made them more susceptible to infection than the general population, the ECDC said.
Investigations into how the infection was acquired are also ongoing.WHAT IS THE SHAMONDA VIRUS?Shamonda virus is transmitted by biting midges and is most commonly found in cattle. According to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), it has also been detected in horses, alpacas, sheep and goats.
The virus was first identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s. It was confirmed in Europe for the first time in late July after genomic tests detected it in sick cattle in southern Germany, Switzerland and eastern France.A report in France's weekly animal health surveillance bulletin said the virus had also been detected in Austria, Belgium, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Jersey, a British Crown Dependency.IS THERE A RISK TO HUMANS?French authorities said no health risk to the general population had been identified based on the information available so far.The ECDC is working with French authorities and European partners to investigate the infection and assess its potential public health implications.
It has also said that further investigations are needed to establish how the patient contracted the virus and whether the infection contributed to their death.There are currently no commercially available vaccines against Shamonda virus, according to WOAH.VIRUS ALSO AFFECTS LIVESTOCKThe virus has been associated with illness in livestock. A study of nine dairy farms in France found that milk production fell by up to 75% in affected herds.The first human case marks a significant development in the monitoring of a virus previously known to affect animals.
However, investigations into the case and its implications for human health are still underway.- Ends