Investigations under way to determine whether virus normally found in livestock contributed to man’s death A man in France has become the first human known to have contracted Shamonda virus, with investigations under way to explore whether it contributed to his death. Shamonda virus is a type of bunyavirus and is spread by bites from infected midges. According to the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety , in animals such as cattle, sheep and goats it can cause diarrhoea, lack of appetite and a decline in milk yield, “as well as abortions and congenital abnormalities in newborn calves, lambs and kids”. Continue reading...