First person infected with rare Shamonda virus: what we know
A man in France has become the first recorded human fatality from the Shamonda virus, a disease typically found in livestock. Researchers are investigating transmission routes, though human-to-human spread is considered unlikely.
Why it matters
The emergence of a new zoonotic virus in humans highlights the ongoing risks of disease spillover linked to environmental and agricultural factors.
Rachel Fieldhouse is a reporter for Nature in Sydney, Australia.
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Bluesky Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Whatsapp X Save article View saved research An outbreak of Shamonda virus was detected in cows in Europe in July and is ongoing. via Getty
An individual with cancer in France has become the first person known to contract the Shamonda virus, after an outbreak in livestock in Europe that was first identified in July. The man, aged in his sixties, died on 9 October, 16 days after he started showing neurological symptoms, including vision loss and confusion, according to a case report published in Eurosurveillance this week 1 . Infectious-disease researchers say little is known about the virus or how it affects the body.
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