Only cattle have been infected by the Shamonda virus so far, with some dairy cows in France reportedly only producing 4L of milk per day as a result of the disease.<\/p>\n
A new midge-borne virus has been infecting cattle across Europe this month, with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) currently keeping a close eye on how it might impact the UK if it ever arrives.<\/p>\n
Shamonda virus is an orthabunyavirus that had only been detected in parts of Africa and in Japan before reaching Europe this year.<\/p>\n
In late July and August 2026, cases were first detected in cattle in Switzerland, France and southern Germany, according to the\u00a0Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI).<\/p>\n
More recently, the disease was detected amongst cattle in Austria and the Netherlands as well.<\/p>\n
It has been reported that the Shamonda virus is closely related to viruses of the Simbu serogroup, such as Schmallenburg virus.<\/p>\n
Clinical signs<\/p>\n
Kate Adams, who is a senior European policy advisor at the British Agriculture Bureau (BAB), outlined that infected cattle show mild clinical signs, such as fever, reduced milk yield and diarrhoea.<\/p>\n
She noted that “infected pregnant females can also have abortions, while offsprings can have significant foetal malformations.”<\/p>\n
In calves, malformations of the musculoskeletal system and the central nervous system have reportedly been documented to date.<\/p>\n
Transmission<\/p>\n
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