Shamonda virus found in British livestock for the first time: two dairy farms in Wales and England, and why vets are asking farmers to watch calving and lambing

What happened

On 2 November 2026 the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) announced that Shamonda virus had been detected in livestock in Great Britain for the first time. In October it was found in cattle on two dairy farms, one in Powys, Wales, and the other in Shropshire, England. The samples were tested at APHA laboratories in Weybridge.

The agency stresses that the finding wasn't unexpected. The virus has been identified in animals in several European countries during 2026, and more recently in cattle in Jersey and the Republic of Ireland.

What kind of virus it is

Shamonda virus was first isolated in cattle in Nigeria in 1965. It was later found in parts of Africa and Asia, and in 2026 it appeared in European livestock. According to the World Organisation for Animal Health, it affects cattle and other animals, including sheep, goats and horses. How dangerous the variants circulating in Europe are isn't yet known for certain.

How it spreads

The main vectors are thought to be Culicoides biting midges, tiny bloodsucking insects. The same midges spread the closely related Schmallenberg virus and the bluetongue virus. So the virus doesn't need sick animals to be moved: wind can carry the insects for dozens of kilometres. As far as is known, it doesn't pass from cow to cow through ordinary contact.

What signs animals show

The signs described include fever, reduced milk production and reproductive problems. APHA has issued a separate information note on the clinical picture in cattle, sheep and goats, and is asking vets to read it. In many animals the infection may go unnoticed, so a keeper won't always link a cow's mild illness with the new virus.

Why vets are talking about calving and lambing

Viruses in this group are especially dangerous when pregnant animals are infected. With the closely related Schmallenberg virus, the worst effects appeared not immediately but months later, as calves and lambs born with deformities or as abortions. So specialists advise keeping a close eye on problems at calving and lambing. Show unusual cases to your vet, even if the cows looked healthy in autumn.

What "not notifiable" means

Shamonda isn't on the list of diseases that must be reported to the authorities in Great Britain. Farms aren't quarantined, animals aren't culled and cattle movements aren't restricted. APHA says there's currently no reason for extra measures, but Defra, the Welsh and Scottish governments and the agency will keep monitoring the situation and review the response if new evidence emerges.

What farmers should do

1. Watch your animals: look out for fever, lethargy and falling milk yields.
2. Tell your vet about unusual cases as early as possible.
3. Treat according to signs: APHA advises treating as early as possible.
4. Record problems at calving and lambing: abortions, stillbirths and deformities.
5. Discuss diagnostic testing with your vet: this goes through local APHA centres, or SRUC in Scotland.

Is the virus dangerous to people?

So far one human case is known: the virus was found in a severely immunosuppressed patient in France. According to the UK authorities there's no evidence of wider transmission among people, and the risk to the general population is considered very low. The UK Health Security Agency continues to monitor the situation. People with weakened immunity would be wise to take care over insect bites on farms.

Is it safe to eat meat and drink milk?

The Food Standards Agency has confirmed there's currently no evidence that Shamonda virus poses a food safety risk. The usual rules remain: milk is sold pasteurised, and meat goes through veterinary checks at abattoirs. Sick animals don't enter the supply chain.

A relative of Schmallenberg virus

Schmallenberg virus appeared in Europe in 2011, spread rapidly across the continent and reached Great Britain within one season. Farmers then faced lambs and calves with twisted limbs and spines. Over time herds built up immunity, and the disease became less noticeable. The experience of that wave helps specialists understand what to expect from Shamonda, but it can't simply be carried across.

Why midges are spreading more diseases

Midges become more active where warm days are becoming more common. Bluetongue of various serotypes has moved across Europe with these very insects in recent years. A longer warm season gives viruses more time to multiply inside the insects. That's why veterinary organisations are talking more often about new diseases that were recently considered southern.

Can a herd be protected?

There's no vaccine against Shamonda virus for European farms yet. Livestock can't be fully protected from midges, but the risk can be reduced: clear manure and standing water near buildings, keep pregnant animals indoors at dusk where possible, when the insects are most active, and talk to your vet about repellents authorised for food-producing animals.

What about sheep and goats?

Sheep and goats are susceptible too. Keepers of small ruminants should remember that many sheep are now in the tupping season, so infection this autumn could affect lambs in spring. If you notice fever, lameness, lethargy or loss of appetite in your sheep, have them seen by a vet and don't put everything down to bluetongue, which causes similar signs.

What about horses and pets?

WOAH lists horses among the animals in which the virus has been found, but there's no data on serious outbreaks in them. There's also no information on illness in dogs and cats. For now, horse owners only need the usual measures: protect horses from bloodsucking insects at dusk, and have a horse with unexplained fever seen by a vet.

How new diseases are monitored

The finding shows how surveillance works. A vet notices unusual cases on a farm, samples go to a laboratory, and rare pathogens are checked for there. If a farmer doesn't report problems, new diseases can go unnoticed for months. So APHA stresses that detection on two farms shows the surveillance system working, and isn't only bad news.

How the virus may have reached Britain

No route of infection has officially been given. Wind-borne midges have crossed the Channel more than once, which is how Schmallenberg virus and bluetongue reached the country. This year the virus was found in Ireland and Jersey, so its appearance on farms in Wales and western England fits the picture of its spread.

Questions still unanswered

It isn't yet clear how many farms are already affected, how severe the disease is in European breeds or how often it harms calves and lambs. Nor is it known whether the virus will survive the winter in Britain. The answers will come in spring, when mass calving and lambing begins and vets can assess how many animals have been affected.

How Shamonda differs from bluetongue

Bluetongue is notifiable, there are vaccines against some of its serotypes, and animal movements are restricted during outbreaks. With Shamonda virus it's different: so far there's no vaccine, no duty to report and no bans. But the vector is the same, and the signs can be similar: fever, falling milk yields and lethargy. So without laboratory testing a vet can't always say what they're dealing with, which makes samples especially important.

What to record on the farm

If you have a dairy herd, compare daily yields: a sharp fall in several cows at once is often the first sign. Note service and insemination dates, as this makes it easier to work out at what stage of pregnancy an animal may have met the virus. Keep records of temperatures, treatments and abortions. In spring this information will help your vet and the government laboratory link problems with newborn stock to infection in autumn, rather than putting them down to chance.

Buying and moving animals

As there are no restrictions, animals can be moved as usual. But sensible caution won't hurt: ask the seller about the health of the herd, keep new animals separate for several weeks and don't buy sick stock. Before going to a show or another country, check the rules, as some countries may bring in their own requirements when a new infection appears in a region. Your vet can advise which documents and tests may be needed at the moment.

Why there's no need to panic

A new virus sounds alarming, but so far this involves two farms and a disease that hasn't caused mass losses in many countries. The authorities don't see a need to close farms, and meat and milk remain safe. The main task now is to gather reliable information on how the virus behaves in European herds. The more honestly farmers report problems, the sooner it will become clear whether a vaccine is needed.

What this means for Europe

Shamonda virus has already been recorded in several European countries, and the edge of its spread keeps moving north-west. Farmers in Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Finland should find out in advance which samples are needed for unusual abortions and deformities. For the EU, it's a further argument for joint surveillance of insect-borne diseases.

When to see a vet

See your vet if a cow, sheep or goat develops a fever, milk yield drops sharply, the animal is lethargic or off its food, or if there's an abortion or a calf or lamb is born with twisted limbs. The sooner a vet examines the animal and takes samples, the more accurate the diagnosis will be, and the more neighbouring farms will benefit.