In France, a person has died from the Shamonda virus for the first time

French authorities have reported the first case in history of a human being infected with the Shamonda virus; the patient died in a hospital.

"A patient with severe immunodeficiency, who was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Lyon for a serious illness, was infected with the Shamonda virus. He died in early October. Clinical, biological, and epidemiological investigations are ongoing," the French government said in a statement.

It had been believed that the Shamonda virus is not transmitted to humans, which is why the incident is the first documented case in history of its detection in a human. The authorities emphasized that the virus poses no threat to public health.