Shamonda virus detected in a human for first time in France, BAU professor urges stronger surveillance in Bangladesh

The Shamonda virus, known as a disease of cattle, has been detected in a human body for the first time, in France. Following the case, Professor Dr M. Ariful Islam of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) has advised strengthening observation of unusual cattle diseases and reproductive problems in Bangladesh, along with laboratory-based detection.

On 22 October, the French health authorities published the first detection of Shamonda virus infection in a human body. The infected person was being treated in a hospital in Lyon in a seriously ill condition and had extremely weak immunity.

The French health authorities were informed of the person's infection on 7 October. The presence of the virus was confirmed through testing of multiple biological samples. The person later died. However, whether the virus caused the death is still not confirmed and remains under investigation.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) are monitoring the case. According to the preliminary assessment of the French health authorities and the WHO, there is so far no identified public health risk for the general population. However, with the first human infection detected, research is under way into the virus's transmission routes and its effects on the human body.

Professor Dr M. Ariful Islam, of the Animal Welfare and Behaviour Laboratory in the Department of Medicine of BAU's Faculty of Veterinary Science, said no reliable published or government report of Shamonda virus detection has been found in Bangladesh so far. But without adequate surveillance and testing, it is not possible to confirm the virus's absence.

Professor Ariful Islam said the Shamonda virus belongs to the Orthobunyavirus genus of the Peribunyaviridae family and to the Simbu serogroup. The Akabane and Schmallenberg viruses are in the same group. The virus was first identified in cattle in Nigeria in 1965. It was later found in animals in various parts of Africa and in Japan.

In the summer of 2026, Shamonda virus infection was detected in cattle in Europe for the first time. After signs of illness appeared in animals from June, the virus was identified in late July. Reports of infection in animals later came from various European countries including Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland.

The virus mainly infects cattle. Infected cattle may develop fever, diarrhoea, lethargy, loss of appetite and reduced milk production. Abortion, stillborn calves and congenital deformities of the fetus may also occur. Besides cattle, the virus has also been found in sheep, goats, horses and alpacas, among other animals.

However, these symptoms also appear in other diseases. So the Shamonda virus cannot be identified from symptoms alone. Laboratory-based diagnosis is required.

The virus is usually spread from animal to animal through the bite of tiny blood-feeding Culicoides midges when they are infected. During pregnancy, infection can also pass from an infected mother animal to the fetus. However, no evidence of direct animal-to-animal transmission has been found.

Even though a first infection in a human has been detected, Professor Ariful Islam believes there is not yet enough information to fear a major public health risk. He said there is still not enough information about what kind of disease the virus can cause in humans, how transmissible it is, and which groups may be at greater risk.

He added that the infected person's immunity was extremely weak. So from one patient's case, no firm conclusion can be drawn about the risk for healthy people or for all people with weak immunity. Likewise, experience with other viruses in the same serogroup, such as the Schmallenberg virus, cannot be treated as direct proof of the human risk from the Shamonda virus.

According to Professor Ariful Islam, if regular virus-based surveillance, identification of Culicoides species and facilities for testing samples in suitable laboratories remain limited in Bangladesh, infections could go undetected. He said if cases of abortion in cows, dead or deformed calves, fever and diarrhoea, or a sudden drop in milk production are seen in Bangladesh, the possibility of Simbu serogroup viruses could also be considered for research alongside common diseases. But a conclusion of Shamonda infection must not be drawn from those symptoms alone.

To reduce the possible spread of the virus and contact with its insect carrier, Professor Ariful Islam gave farmers five pieces of advice. First, cattle sheds and surrounding wet, muddy and organic-rich places must be kept clean, and standing water, wet dung, rotting grass and leftover feed must be managed properly. Second, suitable netting, clean housing and adequate ventilation must be arranged to reduce midge entry and contact in animal housing.

Third, cases of abortion in cows, dead or deformed calves, fever, diarrhoea or a sudden drop in milk production must be recorded with dates, and a veterinarian's advice must be sought quickly, with samples collected and sent to a laboratory if needed. Fourth, while working on a farm, covered clothing and suitable repellent should be used for protection from biting midges. Fifth, if unusual disease or reproductive problems appear, the upazila livestock office and a veterinarian should be informed without paying attention to rumours.

Professor Dr M. Ariful Islam said the first human infection with the Shamonda virus has again shown that animal health, human health and the environment are deeply connected. The most effective step for Bangladesh now is to strengthen surveillance under the One Health approach in coordination among the Department of Livestock Services, universities, laboratories and public health authorities. At the same time, data on unusual cattle diseases and reproductive problems must be collected, research carried out on the distribution of Culicoides species, and necessary laboratory capacity increased. He believes preparation based on scientific information, without panic, is the most important thing.