Man dies after catching Shamonda virus detected in humans for first time

The disease has been recorded in livestock before, but never in humans (Picture: Getty)

A man has died after contracting a virus in France which has never before been detected in humans.

Shamonda virus, which is spread by midges and causes infection in livestock, was detected in a patient who died in early October, French authorities have said.

They said the patient was already ‘severely immunocompromised’ and there was currently no risk to the wider public.

The virus has until now been ⁠considered non-transmissible to humans. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said it was ‘carefully monitoring the situation.’

It said: ‘ECDC is in contact with the Fre...