France reports first human Shamonda virus case, says no health risk

France has reported the detection of Shamonda virus in a human. The virus usually affects livestock. The severely immunocompromised patient died this month.

French health authorities said Thursday that the Shamonda virus, which usually affects livestock, had been detected in a human for the first time, in a severely immunocompromised patient who died earlier this month.

France has reported the first human detection of the Shamonda virus, which usually affects livestock. (Representational Image: Unsplash)

"Despite circulating in Africa and Asia for several decades, the Shamonda virus has never previously been detected in humans," the health and agriculture ministries said in a joint statement.

They said there was "no health risk to the general public identified at this time", adding that the human infection appeared to be "an exceptional case involving a severely immunocompromised patient" hospitalised for a serious medical condition.