A virus that was thought to affect only animals has been found in a human for the very first time. French authorities announced today (Thursday, October 22) that the Shamonda virus had been detected in a patient in the country.
The patient, it’s reported, died earlier this month, after being treated at the Hospices Civils de Lyon, one of France’s largest hospital groups, for a serious illness. They were also suffering from a severely impaired immune system.
According to the authorities, the brain complications the patient developed before their death in early October were very likely linked to the virus.
Investigations are still underway, with experts in human, animal and environmental health working together to understand how the infection happened.
Until now, Shamonda was considered non-transmissible to humans, the French government said. The virus has circulated in animals in Africa and Asia for decades, but no human case had ever been previously recorded.
