IT·Science Talk

Shamonda in France: why the 'found in Japan before' detail caught my eye

I read the GONOM article about the first human Shamonda case in Lyon. Very sad for the patient and family. Officials say no health risk for the general public, and the patient was severely immunocompromised, so I think it is reasonable not to panic.

But one detail I notice: the article says the virus was first found in Nigeria in the 1960s and later reported in Africa and also in Japan. Then in Europe only from late July this year, in cattle in Germany, Switzerland and France, and now more than a dozen countries. That is fast spread for animal virus carried by biting midges.

I am retired architect, not scientist, so maybe I misunderstand. But it make me think about how climate and midges move together. Does anyone in Japan or Korea know if this virus is watched in our cattle? I never heard of it before this week.