For nearly 60 years, Shamonda was a stable problem. First identified in Nigeria in 1965, it circulated among cows, sheep, goats, and horses.
Until now, it was thought that it could not infect people. But on October 22, 2026, France announced the first documented human case: a severely immunocompromised patient being treated for a serious illness in Lyon, who died in early October. Authorities are investigating what role the infection played in the patient’s death.
The hypothesis is that the patient was bitten by a Culicoides, a tiny insect known as a midge, in the east of the country, where the virus circulated among animals during the spring and summer. Health authorities say that, based on current data, there is no risk to the general population, and experts urge people not to confuse an exceptional case with a widespread threat.
Had you heard of this virus?