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The Shamonda virus primarily affects livestock, including cattle. (Getty/iStock)

French health authorities have confirmed the first known human case of the insect-borne Shamonda virus, although they currently reassure the public that there is no risk to the general population.

The patient subsequently died after likely contracting the virus in eastern France , where it had been circulating among animals throughout the spring and summer of 2026.

Previously considered non-transmissible to humans, the virus was first identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s and primarily affects livestock, including cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and alpacas.

Transmitted by biting midges, the disease causes sudden fever, abdominal discomfort, abortions, and potential congenital defects in livestock, with recent cases reported in Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria, and Jersey.

There is currently no vaccine available for the Shamonda virus, which has been spreading…