Severely ill patient in France becomes first ever human infected with Shamonda virus

ECDC is in contact with the French authorities and European partners to investigate the potential public health implications of this first human infection. The only infection so far has been in a patient receiving treatment for a serious illness that made them more susceptible to infection and complications than the general population. The patient died in early October. Investigations into whether the virus caused or contributed to the patient’s death and how the infection was acquired are ongoing. 

The human infection follows the first ever detection of SHAV in European farm animals in summer 2026. In animals, clinical signs were reported from June, and the virus was identified in late July. It has since been detected in farm animals in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland, as well as Jersey. SHAV has previously been detected in animals in countries outside Europe.

SHAV typically spreads between animals through bites from infected midges (Culicoides), but the specific midge species involved in transmission in this case is still unknown. In Europe, biting midges are generally most active from spring to autumn, with seasonal patterns varying by species, location and weather. Given the cooling temperatures, the activity of most biting midge species is declining in Europe. ECDC is following developments in close contact with the European Commission and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), which covers animal health and food safety across the EU.

The European Union has a robust public health infrastructure in place, and ECDC continues to work with all Member States to strengthen their response planning. The Centre is working with the relevant EU Reference Laboratory to strengthen testing capacity and offer additional support to member states to identify any other potential cases.