Shamonda virus spreads among cattle herds in Tyrol

The Shamonda virus, which originated in Africa, is spreading among cattle herds in Tyrol, ORF reports. The virus poses no known risk to humans, but may damage the fetuses of pregnant cows.

The extent of any such damage remains difficult to assess, according to the Chamber of Agriculture. Because the virus is closely related to Schmallenberg virus, experts believe fetal damage is possible. No vaccine or specific treatment is available, leaving farmers to manage symptoms.

Signs of infection include fever, watery diarrhoea, reduced milk production, respiratory problems, loss of appetite and animals being unable to stand. The virus is transmitted by small blood-sucking midges. Animal-to-animal transmission has not been established, except for infection of fetuses in pregnant cows.

The infection is not notifiable in Austria, and authorities have not prescribed any control measures. The disease has also been detected in horses in Switzerland and Germany.

The virus was first identified in Nigeria in the mid-1960s, according to a disease profile from the German Friedrich Loeffler Institute. Until 2026, it had been detected only sporadically in western, eastern and southern Africa and in Japan. It first appeared in Central Europe in summer 2026.