A virus usually found in animals has now infected and caused a human illness for the first time in medical history.
In October 2026, France reported the first known human case of disease which is reportedly caused by Shamonda virus.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Shamonda virus mainly affects animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and horses.
Shamonda was first found in cattle in Nigeria in 1965 and has since been detected in several other countries.
This Shamonda virus is thought to spread through the bites of midges, tiny fly-like insects that can carry the virus from one animal to another.
In 2026, the virus was detected in Europe for the first time, including in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and France.
So far, only one human case has been reported.
Because of this, scientists still know very little about how the virus may affect people.
There is currently no vaccine or specific treatment for Shamonda, and more research is needed to understand the virus and how it spreads.
Shamonda virus is thought to spread between animals by the bites of Culicoides, a type of midge, which is a small fly-like insect. Further studies are needed to understand which exact arthropod species are involved in its transmission.
The virus is not known to transmit directly from animal to animal, other than during pregnancy when an infected animal can transmit the virus to the fetus.
The virus was first isolated from cattle in Nigeria in 1965.
Since then, the virus has been reported in animals in countries in Africa and in Japan.
The virus was detected for the first time in Europe in June 2026, in cattle in southern Germany and Switzerland. Since then, the virus has been found in dairy cows and horses in western Europe, including in Austria, Belgium and France.
Symptoms
As only one human case has been reported so far, information on the disease in humans remains limited. In this case, the patient was already seriously ill and experienced additional, brain-related symptoms that were considered to be linked to the Shamonda virus.
But is there a cure?
The World Health Orgainzation says there are currently no treatments or vaccines for Shamonda virus.
This is because only one human case has been reported so far.
