Novel Shamonda-like orthobunyavirus in western Europe

17 August 2026

An image showing a dairy cow in a shed

A novel Shamonda-type orthobunyavirus (SHAV) is circulating in Western Europe with cases detected in dairy cows in France, Switzerland and Germany.

Shamonda virus is a pathogen spread by midges. It was first isolated from cattle in Nigeria in 1965, and has been reported sporadically in West, East and Southern Africa, as well as Japan. The findings in Germany, Switzerland and France are the first in Europe. It is not clear where the virus originated.

SHAV is closely related to viruses of the Simbu serogroup, the same serogroup as Schmallenberg disease virus (SBV). Cattle are considered the most widespread hosts, but small ruminants can also be infected.

Transmission occurs primarily through midges (as is also the case for BTV and EHD). There is no evidence of significant animal to animal transmission, except for vertical transmission during gestation. SHAV is not a zoonosis.

Clinical signs

Infected cattle so far have had a fever and diarrhoea, alongside decreased milk production. Infected pregnant females can also have abortions, and offspring can have significant foetal malformations, as also seen in SBV. Cattle farms report disease lasting around 14-21 days.

Regulation

SHAV is not a categorised disease under the European Union's Animal Health Law and is not subject to any official surveillance or control measures. Infection is also not regulated internationally by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

Control measures

No vaccine is currently available and there is no treatment to eliminate the virus in animals. It is possible for vaccines to be developed, but this would require sufficient lead time and demand. The most effective control measures include protecting herds from insect vectors to reduce the risk of infection.

France

SHAV was detected at the end of July on dairy farms in several French departments including Ain, Dubs, Savoie and Haute-Savoie. Suspected cases have been reported in Normandy. Many of these areas have also been infected with Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) but the diseases are unrelated.

Symptoms reported in France include a drop in milk production, with vets outlining that some cows only produced 4 litres of milk per day and had severe diarrhoea. However, the virus is not fatal. There are also concerns about ‘delayed effects’ with miscarriages and birth defects. Farmers are encouraged to contact their vet in case of suspected cases. There are no plans to cull infected animals. The French Ministry of Agriculture is monitoring the situation with scientists and organisations, including FNSEA. More here.

Switzerland

SHAV was confirmed in Switzerland on 6 August. Samples were taken from cattle with clinical symptoms including fever, diarrhoea and a drop in milk yield. Since then, virus has also been detected in several aborted bovine foetuses. The virus found is almost identical to that found in Germany.

The Swiss authorities outline that it is not currently clear if there is a connection between the ongoing heatwaves and disease occurrence. Costs of tests is currently covered by the federal government.

Germany

The Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI) detected SHAV at the beginning of August in southern Germany, particularly Baden-Württemberg. Clinical symptoms have been observed in numerous animals and herds since July. The test results from different farms indicates high viral loads at the time of sampling.

Clinical symptoms in adult animals are moderate, however, the potential transmission to the foetus during pregnancy is a significant concern. Depending on the timing of the infection, abortions, stillbirths and severe congenital malformations may occur. It is still too early to assess what this impact may be.

Midge season in Germany typically lasts until the end of November, the peak activity July – October. Considering this, further and potentially rapid spread of virus may be seen. The FLI is carrying out further analysis. More here.

Netherlands

No cases have been confirmed yet, but the Dutch animal health service has been receiving an increasing number of reports from cattle farms in the Netherlands where animals have had a fever, diarrhoea and decreased milk production. More here.

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