International
oi-Swastika Sruti
French officials have reported the first human infection by the Shamonda virus following the death of an extremely immune-suppressed person in Lyon earlier in October. The virus was already known to cause infection among cattle, but the fact that it could cause infections in humans was previously unknown.
France confirmed its first human Shamonda virus infection in Lyon from an immune-suppressed individual; the virus, typically affecting cattle and insect-borne, is under investigation for transmission and role in death, with no public health threat currently identified.
While this news has come, French officials have reported no threat to public health until now. Investigations are being conducted to find out the mode of transmission of the infection in the person and whether the virus was responsible for his death or not.
This incident has attracted so much attention because the Shamonda virus normally causes infections in animals and is transmitted by biting midges.
What Is The Shamonda Virus?
Shamonda virus is a virus that has been found in cattle but is insect-borne. It is one of several viruses that are carried by the biting midge insects.
The virus has been found only in Nigeria in the 1960s and then in several other areas in parts of West, East and South Africa as well as Japan in cattle populations.
The virus has never been seen in a human until recently in a case in France, which has been termed exceptional as the patient suffered from severely weakened immune system.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) claims that the species of the midge insect has not been yet determined.
How Did The Patient Become Infected?
According to France’s Agriculture Ministry, the patient was receiving treatment for a serious illness at Hospices Civils de Lyon and was severely immunocompromised.
French authorities suspect that the infection may have been transmitted through the bite of a Culicoides midge in eastern France. However, this remains a hypothesis, and investigators are still working to determine exactly how the virus entered the patient’s body.
Authorities have also reported that the patient developed brain complications before death. Investigations suggest that these complications were likely linked to the Shamonda virus infection, although further work is needed to establish the virus’s precise role in the death.
Clinical, laboratory and epidemiological investigations are continuing in coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the ECDC.
Is Shamonda Virus Dangerous To Humans?
French authorities have said that no health risk to the general population has been identified based on the information currently available.
However, the case is being investigated because it represents the first documented human infection with the virus. Researchers need to understand how the infection occurred, whether the virus can infect other people and what role the patient’s weakened immune system may have played.
The patient was severely immunocompromised, meaning their immune system was significantly weakened by an underlying illness or its treatment. Authorities have not established whether the virus could cause similar complications in people with healthy immune systems.
The first reported human case does not, by itself, indicate that the virus is spreading among people or that a wider outbreak is taking place.
What Are The Symptoms Of Shamonda Virus In Animals?
The Shamonda virus has mainly been associated with cattle. According to Sciensano, Belgium’s national public health institute, infected adult cattle may develop the following symptoms:
- Fever: The animal’s body temperature rises.
- Lethargy: The animal becomes unusually tired or inactive.
- Diarrhoea: The animal may experience digestive problems.
Reduced milk production: Dairy cows may produce significantly less milk than usual.
France also reported sporadic infections in small ruminants, such as sheep and goats, and in horses during the summer.
These symptoms are not specific to the Shamonda virus and can occur in other animal illnesses. Veterinary testing is therefore important to confirm an infection.
Shamonda Virus Detected In Europe For The First Time
The virus was identified for the first time in Western Europe in summer, when cases of infection in animals were recorded in a number of European countries.
They include Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland, as well as Jersey.
An increase in the number of cases of infection in European countries has created a greater necessity to monitor the health of animals and insect-carried infections.
Though the virus is mostly found in cattle, the infection in a human from Lyon forced the authorities to consider if the infections in animals and midges could be responsible for his/her condition.
