Shamonda virus

Shamonda virus primarily affects animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and horses. In October 2026, France reported the first documented case of human disease caused by Shamonda virus.

Shamonda virus belongs to the family Peribunyaviridae, genus Orthobunyavirus, within the Simbu serogroup. It is closely related to the Schmallenberg virus.

It is thought to spread through midges, which pass the disease from animal to animal.

Shamonda virus is thought to spread between animals by the bites of Culicoides, a type of midge, which is a small fly-like insect. Further studies are needed to understand which exact arthropod species are involved in its transmission.

The virus is not known to transmit directly from animal to animal, other than during pregnancy when an infected animal can transmit the virus to the fetus.

The virus was first isolated from cattle in Nigeria in 1965. Since then, the virus has been reported in animals in countries in Africa and in Japan. The virus was detected for the first time in Europe in June 2026, in cattle in southern Germany and Switzerland. Since then, the virus has been found in dairy cows and horses in western Europe, including in Austria, Belgium and France.

As only one human case has been reported so far, information on the disease in humans remains limited. In this case, the patient was already seriously ill and experienced additional, brain-related symptoms that were considered to be linked to the Shamonda virus.

There are currently no treatments or vaccines for Shamonda virus. Only one human case has been reported so far.