France records first documented human Shamonda virus infection in Lyon

French health authorities announced the world's first documented human infection with the "Shamonda" (Shamonda) virus in a patient who was severely immunocompromised and died in early October while receiving treatment in the city of Lyon.

The French ministries of Health and Agriculture said in a joint statement that the virus belongs to the Orthobunyavirus family and is transmitted by small biting insects, noting that it was previously known to circulate among farm animals without any prior documented human infections.

The statement added that the virus has been present for decades in parts of Africa and Asia, and that the recorded case represents the first known detection in a human, making it an exceptional case from both medical and epidemiological perspectives.

The statement explained that the patient was admitted to hospital in Lyon with a serious illness and was severely immunocompromised, without providing further details about the condition or confirming that the virus infection was the direct cause of death.

The two ministries affirmed that, based on currently available scientific data, no health risk to the general population associated with the virus has been detected, despite this unprecedented human case.