Shamonda: As first ever human case is recorded, what you need to know

AI Summary

France reported the first known human infection with Shamonda virus in a patient who had a serious underlying illness and later died. Authorities are investigating the source of infection and whether the virus contributed to the death.

A person in France has become the first ever human reported to have been infected with Shamonda virus, health authorities have announced.1Until now, the virus had only ever been detected in non-human animals and was considered by officials to be non-transmissible to humans.What happened in France?Details are limited, but what has been announced is that the patient was already receiving treatment for a serious illness that made them susceptible to infection and complications before being infected with Shamonda and dying earlier this month.Investigations into whether the virus caused or contributed to the patient’s death, and how the patient acquired the infection, are ongoing, said the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).2What is Shamonda?Shamonda virus is a member of a large group of viruses known as bunyaviruses.3Although it was first identified in Nigerian cattle in the 1960s, Shamonda virus was found in European farm animals for the first time...