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Scientists react to the first ever human infected with Shamonda virus.
Prof Heather Ferguson, Professor of Infectious Disease Ecology, University of Glasgow, said:
“Shamonda virus was first identified in cattle in Nigeria in the 1960s. Since then, it has been detected in additional settings across the tropics and was previously thought only to affect cattle. It was first detected in Europe in June this year, where it was linked to diarrhoea, fever, lethargy and significant but reversible reductions in milk yield in cattle in eastern France. This first detection was quickly followed by subsequent detections in livestock in other parts of Europe, including Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, Portugal, Spain, Italy and Jersey in August this year.
“This virus is closely related to another virus of concern to livestock health, Schmallenberg virus, which was first detected in the UK in 2012 and has since caused local outbreaks across the UK, including in Scotland.
“Like Schmallenberg virus and bluetongue virus, another major emerging threat to livestock health, Shamonda virus is transmitted by biting midges. Generally, midge-borne viruses have not been linked to major human health consequences. Some, such as Oropouche virus which has been emerging in the Americas, have potential to spread between animals and people. This tragic case of a patient dying after contracting Shamonda virus highlights the previously unknown potential for its transmission to people, including the possibility of severe harm under specific circumstances.
“While this is concerning, it should be emphasised that confirmation of a death associated with Shamonda virus is likely to represent a very atypical outcome. The person affected was severely immunocompromised, and risks to others without similar severe immune impairment may be much lower. Despite the widespread detection of Shamonda virus in livestock across Europe and in tropical regions, there remains no other evidence of human infection or severe disease outcomes.
“The situation will certainly need to be monitored very closely, including testing for infection in people who are not displaying symptoms, to establish whether there is any more widespread transmission in humans. However, at present it would be premature to assume that this virus will pose a major public health risk. We simply do not yet have enough information to make that determination.
“Aside from risks to human health, it should be kept in mind that this virus could have the potential to cause significant economic losses for livestock farmers. Consequently, there is a clear need to establish strong surveillance systems for the early detection of Shamonda virus in humans, livestock and biting midges, in order to guide management and control measures.
“As a scientist who studies insect-borne diseases, I am aware that those spread by midges present particular challenges. Unlike mosquitoes, there are few, if any, effective strategies for reducing populations of disease-transmitting midges. They are extremely difficult to control. However, the good news is that many viruses transmitted by midges can be effectively prevented through vaccination. While there is currently no commercial vaccine available for Shamonda virus, it is likely that one could be developed using existing technology, and potentially within a relatively short timeframe.
“Further research and surveillance will be crucial to understanding the risks posed by Shamonda virus and how they can be effectively detected and prevented. For that reason, we are very grateful to have recently been awarded £3.75 million from the UK Research and Innovation programme to investigate the risks posed by mosquito- and midge-borne diseases in the UK. While Shamonda virus was not on our radar when we developed this project, the technologies we will develop and the research we will undertake will generate data to help us better understand its potential risks to the UK.”
Prof Alain Kohl, Professor of Virology and Emerging Infectious Diseases, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM), said:
“Shamonda virus is an orthobunyavirus transmitted by midges. It is closely related to Schmallenberg virus that emerged in Europe in 2011. These viruses are mainly an issue because they infect and cause disease various farm animals. The first human death from someone who had Shamonda virus, a immunocompromised patient, is tragic and sadly reminds specialists of Cristoli virus- a further orthobunyavirus linked to a human death in France in 2019. Any novel infection impacting agriculture and farm animals is of course not good news in its own right as the sector is facing challenges in many parts of Europe. Human cases are likely to be rare, because we would have seen more given how widespread this virus is in animals, and midge activity over the year. If there are infections the vast majority are likely mild or completely undetected. Though any individual case is a reminder that we are not isolated. This does show that surveillance, and the ability to study these viruses, remain critical and these skills must be maintained”.
Dr Nick Johnson, Head, Vector Borne Diseases Workgroup, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), said:
What is Shamonda virus?
“Shamonda virus is an Orthobunyavirus that was reported for the first time in European livestock during the summer of 2026. Prior to this, the virus had previously been reported in Africa and East Asia. Two variants have been detected in livestock, and the vector is believed to be Culicoides midges. How these viruses entered Europe is uncertain.
What is Shamonda virus?
“This is a significant development although the individual who was infected was reported as being immunocompromised. I would expect the Human Animal Infections and Risk Surveillance group (HAIRS) to conduct a thorough risk assessment as a result of this report.
What do we know about under what circumstances this person was infected?
“Very little, the French authorities are conducting an investigation into the background of this case, so too early to comment.
Is there now a risk to the general UK population from this virus?
“This needs to be risk assessed as stated above. The virus has not been detected in mainland UK, only the single report from Jersey (1)”
1 – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/emerging-shamonda-virus-detected-in-jersey.
Prof Tom Solomon, Director, The Pandemic Institute, and NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections, University of Liverpool, said:
“This is clearly a tragic case for the patient and very sad news for their family. It seems that the Shamonda virus may have contributed to the patient’s illness, although investigations are ongoing to establish its precise role. The risk to the general population remains very low.
“The risk to the general public appears very low for several reasons. Shamonda virus has been circulating in animals, particularly cattle, but also sheep, goats, horses and alpacas, for many years, yet this is the first recognised human infection. This suggests that transmission to humans is extremely unusual.
“We also know that this patient was severely immunocompromised, which may have made them particularly vulnerable to an infection that would not normally cause serious illness in humans.
“However, because this is the first recognised human case, there is still a great deal we don’t know. We don’t know whether healthy people can become infected without developing symptoms, what symptoms the virus might normally cause, or how frequently it might cause serious disease.
“French authorities believe the neurological complications in this patient were very likely linked to the infection, although investigations are continuing. This is clearly concerning, but one exceptional case does not necessarily mean the virus poses a significant threat to the wider population.
“The important message is that there is no reason for public alarm, but this case reinforces the importance of surveillance for emerging infections, particularly those that can affect the brain.”
FROM SMC SPAIN* David Roiz, Beatriz Galindo Distinguished Senior Researcher, SaBio Group, Institute for Research into Game Resources (IREC), University of Castilla-La Mancha, said:
“The death of a patient with severe immunodeficiency in Lyon, France, who was suffering from a serious illness caused by the Shamonda virus, has just been confirmed; this is the first human case in Europe. This virus has recently been detected on cattle farms in France. Shamonda is a bunyavirus transmitted amongst cattle by Culicoides midges, which are small dipterans that also transmit bluetongue. It can also circulate amongst small ruminants and horses.
“There is no risk to the general public as this is a case involving an immunocompromised patient; whilst this is a new occurrence for this virus, it is not entirely unusual. There are many bunyaviruses that circulate naturally amongst mammals in tropical regions and cause sporadic cases in humans. In a globalised world, where animals and goods are on the move and the climate is changing, it is not unusual for cases of human transmission to occur, and we should not be concerned; we simply need to monitor the situation, remain vigilant and be proactive in addressing potential health risks.”
Dr Ben Brennan, Group Leader and Senior Lecturer, MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, University of Glasgow, said:
“Shamonda virus is a member of a large group of viruses known as bunyaviruses. It is closely related to Schmallenberg virus, which emerged in Europe in 2011 and caused significant disease in livestock, particularly reproductive abnormalities and birth defects in cattle and sheep.
“Like Schmallenberg virus, Shamonda virus is primarily associated with livestock and is transmitted by small biting insects called midges. Although scientists have known about the virus for many years, until now it has been associated with infections in animals rather than humans.”
“This is an important scientific finding, as it is the first reported human infection with Shamonda virus. However, it is important to put this into perspective. The patient had a serious underlying illness that left them particularly vulnerable to infections, and we do not yet know whether Shamonda virus contributed to their death.
“Finding a virus in a severely immunocompromised patient does not necessarily mean it poses a significant risk to otherwise healthy individuals. At present, there is no evidence that Shamonda virus causes widespread human disease, although further investigation is needed to understand its ability to infect people.”
“At present, we know relatively little about how this individual acquired the infection. Shamonda virus is normally transmitted between animals by biting midges, so exposure to an infected insect is one possibility, but this has not been established.
“French public health authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding the infection, including how the patient was exposed and whether the virus played any role in their illness or death. Until those investigations are complete, it would be premature to draw firm conclusions.”
“Based on the information currently available, there is no reason for the general UK public to be unduly concerned. This is a single reported human infection in someone who was already seriously ill and immunocompromised, despite the virus having circulated in animals for many years.
“There is currently no evidence of sustained transmission between humans, and the virus is normally spread through biting midges rather than everyday contact between people.
“While this discovery warrants further scientific investigation and continued surveillance, it does not currently suggest a significant new public health threat to the UK. For most people, there is no reason to change their normal activities or take additional precautions.”
Declared interests
Prof Heather Ferguson: “received a £3.75 million UKRK to study mosquito and midge-borne disease risk to the UK; including arboviruses.”
Prof Alain Kohl: “No conflict to declare”
Dr Nick Johnson: “I declare that I am a civil servant working for the Animal and Plant Health Agency with a background in vector-borne diseases.”
Prof Tom Solomon: “I have no conflicts of interest to declare.“
David Roiz: “He declares no conflicts of interest.”
Dr Ben Brennan: “My laboratory studies the molecular biology and pathogenesis of a range of bunyaviruses, including viruses closely related to Shamonda virus. Although we currently have no funding specifically allocated to studying Shamonda virus, we are actively seeking to obtain the virus to initiate studies of its biological characteristics and better understand its potential to cause disease.”