The French authorities announced the detection of the first human infection with the Chamonda virus. The Ministries of Health and Agriculture indicated that the Chamunda virus has been spreading in Africa and Asia for decades, without any human infection being documented. The patient died in early October. He was receiving treatment in Lyon civilian hospitals and suffered from severe immune weakness, according to a statement by the French authorities. The World Organization for Animal Health website stated that the virus was first discovered in cows in Nigeria in 1965, before strains linked to it were detected in Europe in 2026. Reported symptoms in animals include: fever, diarrhea, decreased milk production, and reproductive system disorders including miscarriages and fetal abnormalities. The French authorities believe that the patient was infected with the bite of a small Collicoides fly in eastern France. How is the virus diagnosed? Given the lack of clarity in clinical symptoms, laboratory diagnosis is necessary, and includes tests to detect the virus or antibodies, most notably: - Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect the genetic material of the virus. Serum neutralization tests to detect antibodies and help distinguish the virus from other related viruses. Suitable samples for testing, depending on the type of test, include blood and serum from animals in the acute phase of infection, in addition to brain and spleen tissue from aborted fetuses.