Shamonda virus confirmed on Gipuzkoa dairy farm as France reports first human case

A dairy herd in Gipuzkoa

Spanish authorities have confirmed Shamonda virus on a dairy cattle farm in Gipuzkoa, a province in the Basque Country of northern Spain. The Basque government's Department of Food, Rural Development, Agriculture and Fisheries said on Monday, 26 October, that the Central Veterinary Laboratory at Algete, near Madrid, made the confirmation. The sick animals are described as clinically stable, and the farm remains under veterinary monitoring. The Gipuzkoa provincial council, which ran the surveillance that found the case, said it was the first identified in the territory and that no new cases had been detected on that farm or elsewhere so far.

What the disease does

Shamonda mainly affects cattle and spreads through Culicoides midges. In adult animals it usually causes a mild, short-lived illness with fever, diarrhoea and a temporary drop in milk output, and pregnant females need closer attention because of possible effects on reproduction. The virus was first identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s and had previously been detected sporadically in parts of Africa and in Japan. The Gipuzkoa council said it reached Central Europe in summer 2026, where a variant called shamonda-Europe was identified. Since summer 2026 the disease has been detected in 13 European countries. In Spain, confirmed cases are on cattle farms in Córdoba, Cantabria, Toledo, Ávila, Madrid and Girona, found through passive surveillance.

The first human infection

On 22 October France announced the first documented human infection with the virus. The person had severe immunodeficiency, was being treated at the Hospices Civils de Lyon for a serious illness, and died in early October. French authorities are investigating whether the virus caused or contributed to the death, but no definitive causal link has been established. The case has been reported to the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Researchers have not settled how the infection happened. LaSexta says an insect bite is the working explanation, while Xataka says some investigators suspect transfusion.

Official risk assessment

The Basque government described the risk to the general population as very low and said there is no evidence of transmission through meat, milk or dairy products. The Gipuzkoa council said the virus is not considered a zoonosis, meaning it does not pass from animals to people. French public health authorities report no transmission between people so far and no health risk to the general population. The Basque councillor for agriculture, Amaia Barredo, stressed that the response does not centre on culling.

“Shamonda virus is not on the European Union list of diseases, and detecting it does not in general mean killing animals or imposing broad movement restrictions.”

The response rests on surveillance, clinical care of affected animals, biosecurity and control of the insects that carry the virus. Farms have been asked to check animals daily, report any suspicion immediately, and step up cleaning and disinfection of premises, vehicles and transport.