The first human case of Shamonda virus was reported in France when the patient died

This virus is mainly found in livestock, especially cattle, sheep, goats, horses and alpacas.

The disease is thought to spread through the bites of mosquitoes – small biting flies – although the World Health Organization (WHO) said more research is needed to understand how it is transmitted.

There is currently no commercially available vaccine against Shamonda virus, according to the internationally recognized World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH).

Vulnerable patients

The unidentified patient, who died in early October, had received treatment for a serious illness and had a weakened immune system, making him more vulnerable to infection than the general public, according to a statement from the French health and agriculture ministries.

French authorities said no health risks to the general public had been identified so far.

He had been in an area where the virus circulated among animals and where the Culicoides mosquito was present, the WHO said.

Director-General of the UN health agency Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed his condolences to the man’s loved ones.

He said WHO was working with French authorities to find out how patients became infected, possible routes of transmission and potential risks to public health.