France reports first-ever human death from Shamonda Virus

France reported the world's first known human case of the Shamonda virus after a patient in Lyon died following a suspected midge bite.

French authorities confirmed the patient, who was in their 60s and suffered from a compromised immune system, died earlier this month after receiving treatment in Lyon.

It is believed the patient contracted the virus through a midge bite in eastern France, where the infection had been circulating among livestock.

The disease, first identified in Nigeria in 1965, primarily affects cattle and causes symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, and reduced milk production.

While health officials suspect the virus caused fatal brain complications in the patient, the World Health Organization emphasises that this remains an isolated case and poses no immediate threat to the wider public.