Two dairy farms have tested positive for Shamonda virus (SHAV), marking the first confirmed cases of the midge-borne disease in Great Britain, the BBC reports. The infected cattle are located in Shropshire and Powys.
The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) said the virus's arrival in the UK "was not unexpected" and described it as neither notifiable nor reportable, according to the BBC. The agency added that there is currently no evidence pointing to a need for extra disease-control measures.
Why it matters
Shamonda mainly affects cattle and produces fever, diarrhoea, lethargy and lower milk yields. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also recorded birth defects and abortions in calves whose mothers were infected while pregnant, the BBC reports.
The detection adds pressure on dairy farmers already contending with new animal health threats linked to a warming climate. It also raises questions about how long the virus may have circulated before being identified, and whether it will affect milk supply — a question industry analysts at DCA Market Intelligence have already begun asking publicly.
A virus that travelled north
According to the WHO, Shamonda was first identified in Nigeria in the 1960s. It appeared in southern Germany and Switzerland in June 2026, and a case was found in Jersey in September, the BBC reports.
Rob Hall, clinical director at LLM Farm Vets in Whitchurch, Shropshire, told the BBC that warmer winters are allowing midges — the insects thought to be the main route of transmission — to expand their range northward and survive for longer. He noted the virus has previously circulated in North Africa and southern Europe, including Turkey, before reaching northern Europe this summer and then the UK.
Hall warned that many farmers may not learn whether their herds are infected, or how badly, until calving season. He described the possible outcomes for pregnant animals as loss of the unborn calf, or the birth of deformed offspring with spinal defects, bent or contorted limbs, and brain and developmental disorders.
APHA has cautioned that these signs are not unique to Shamonda and can overlap with other endemic and exotic livestock diseases, meaning laboratory testing is needed to confirm infection, according to the BBC.
Farmers weigh an uncertain picture
Neale Sadler, a third-generation dairy farmer near Wem in Shropshire, told the BBC he had only become aware of the virus in the past month or so, when it began appearing in farming news bulletins. He said the situation amounts to "crossing your fingers" until more is understood.
Sadler said he is concerned about how long Shamonda may have gone undetected in the UK. He drew some reassurance from the calendar, noting that midge season has largely passed by November, though he added that a warm spell could bring the insects back. His larger worry, he said, is whether damage has already been done by bites that occurred weeks ago, with symptoms yet to surface.
Tim Downes, who keeps 300 dairy cows at Longnor in south Shropshire and chairs the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers, told the BBC the issue is being watched nationally. He said two vets he met in Leicestershire were monitoring the situation. With no vaccine available, Downes said control rests on good animal husbandry — keeping flies off cattle and maintaining hygiene.
Shamonda is related to Schmallenberg virus and produces very similar health problems, the BBC reports.
What to watch: whether further farms test positive as calving season approaches, and whether APHA changes its assessment that no additional control measures are needed.
