Campania authorities report no current sanitary emergency linked to Shamonda virus in bovine and buffalo farms, following monitoring after detections in some bovine and buffalo samples from the province of Salerno.
The position was set out by Regione Campania in coordination with veterinary services and reported by Il Mattino Napoli. The regional assessment is that farm activity can continue under surveillance, with measures evaluated case by case by the competent authorities.
What was found in Salerno province
Recent detections were reported in some bovine and buffalo samples from the province of Salerno. The available sources do not state the exact number of positive samples, farms or animals, nor do they establish the prevalence or geographic extent of the virus within Campania.
Regional monitoring involves Regione Campania, local veterinary services, the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, the regional veterinary epidemiology observatory and the national reference centre.
What Shamonda virus is
Shamonda virus, abbreviated SHAV, is an enveloped, negative-sense, single-stranded RNA virus in the Orthobunyavirus genus, Peribunyaviridae family and Simbu serogroup.
It is an animal virus under veterinary surveillance. Based on currently available knowledge, the infection is not considered transmissible to humans.
How it spreads
Culicoides biting midges are considered the principal transmission vector.
The region states that SHAV has no significant documented direct animal-to-animal transmission. Vertical or transplacental transmission from mother to fetus is a relevant concern, especially for pregnant cattle and buffalo.
Signs reported in animals
Reported animal signs can include fever, diarrhoea, lethargy, reduced milk production and reproductive or congenital abnormalities.
Evidence from veterinary literature identifies congenital disease and transplacental infection as an area of concern in animal studies and field investigations. The full causal relationship between SHAV and reproductive, congenital or neurological disease remains under investigation.
No known risk from milk or meat at present
Based on currently available knowledge, no risks are currently known from consuming milk or meat.
That assessment reflects current knowledge and ongoing monitoring, not a completed exhaustive risk assessment.
What a positive animal means for a farm
A positive animal does not automatically require farm closure, culling or destruction of milk. Measures depend on the specific situation and competent-authority assessment.
A wider European picture in 2026
The virus has been detected in multiple European settings during 2026, but its distribution and full clinical significance remain under investigation.
The UK Animal and Plant Health Agency, for example, detected SHAV in Jersey cattle and reported fever, diarrhoea, lethargy, reduced milk production and possible pregnancy-associated congenital effects.
It is unclear from the sources whether the Campania detections belong to a European lineage or represent a distinct introduction.
What remains unknown
The exact number of animals involved in Campania has not been published in the sources reviewed. Prevalence in the region, the geographic extent of circulation, and the complete clinical significance of infection are still being assessed through veterinary monitoring.
