Two dairy farms, one in Powys and one in Shropshire, and a virus Britain had not seen before
What happened
A virus that Britain had not recorded in its livestock before has been found in cattle at two dairy farms - one in Powys, in Wales, and one in Shropshire, in England. It is called Shamonda virus, often shortened to SHAV. The detections were made in October 2026, with samples tested at the Animal and Plant Health Agency's laboratories in Weybridge. The APHA published the news on 2 November 2026. SHAV is spread mainly by Culicoides biting midges - very small flying insects, common across the UK, that bite livestock. Humans are not the route of transmission; the midges are. The agency described the detection as 'not unexpected'. SHAV has been found in animals in several European countries during 2026, including in cattle in Jersey and in the Republic of Ireland. Once a midge-borne virus is circulating nearby, arrival is largely a matter of time and weather. SHAV is not a notifiable or reportable disease, which means farmers and vets are not legally required to report suspected cases to the government. The APHA says there is currently no evidence that additional disease-control measures are needed. Defra, the Welsh Government, the Scottish Government and the APHA will keep monitoring and review that position as more evidence comes in. On human health: one human case has been identified, in a severely immunosuppressed person in France. There is no evidence of wider transmission between people, and the risk to the general population is considered very low. The UK Health Security Agency is monitoring the situation. The Food Standards Agency has confirmed there is currently no evidence that SHAV poses a food safety risk.
Why this matters
For most people reading this, the honest answer is that it does not change anything today. That is worth saying plainly, because 'new virus found in Britain' is a headline shape that can cause more worry than the facts justify. Where it does matter is on farms. Midge-borne viruses in cattle, sheep and goats can cause illness and, in some cases, problems in pregnancy and in newborn animals. For a dairy or livestock business, that is a direct financial and welfare issue, and it arrives through the air rather than through anything a farmer can gate off. It matters in a second way too, and this is the part that is genuinely reassuring rather than worrying. This virus was found because somebody was looking. Samples from two farms were collected, sent to a national laboratory, and tested against a virus that had not previously been seen here. The system noticed something new, quickly, and said so publicly within weeks. That is what surveillance is for. The APHA made the point itself: the detection shows the country's surveillance and diagnostic systems can identify new diseases. A virus found and named is in a much better position than one circulating unrecorded. The broader context is that midge-borne viruses are moving north across Europe. Warmer, longer midge seasons extend how far and how long these insects can carry infection. Shamonda virus arriving in Britain in 2026 after turning up in Jersey and Ireland is consistent with that pattern, and it is unlikely to be the last.
What the evidence actually says
Three claims in this story deserve separating out, because they rest on different amounts of evidence. First, the detection itself. This is solid. Samples from two named locations, tested at a national reference laboratory. Two farms is a small number, and it is also exactly what a first detection looks like. It does not tell us how widespread the virus already is in British livestock, because testing has not been done at that scale. It may be more widespread than two farms; nobody can say yet. Second, the risk to people. The careful reading here is important. One human case has been found, in France, in a severely immunosuppressed person. That is not the same as 'the virus does not infect humans' - it clearly did in that instance. What it does mean is that human infection appears to be extremely rare and associated with a severely weakened immune system, and that there is no evidence of person-to-person spread. UKHSA's assessment of very low risk to the general population reflects that. 'Very low' is not 'zero', and the word 'currently' appears throughout the official statements for a reason: assessments are reviewed as evidence accumulates. Third, food safety. The Food Standards Agency says there is currently no evidence of a food safety risk. Again, note the construction. That is an absence of evidence of harm based on what is known, not a positive demonstration that none could exist. In practice, for a midge-borne virus of this type, no food risk is the expected position. What the official notice does not contain: any named spokesperson, any count of affected animals, any figures for other European countries, and any description of how severely the cattle were affected. The statements are attributed to the APHA as an organisation. The agency has published a Disease Information Note covering clinical signs in cattle, sheep and goats for vets to work from. And the status matters: because SHAV is not notifiable, there is no legal duty to report it. That means the official picture will be built from voluntary testing, which tends to lag behind reality.
Practical advice
**If you keep livestock, watch your animals and talk to your own vet.** The guidance is to look for clinical signs and contact your private veterinary surgeon if you have concerns. Treat animals on the basis of clinical signs as early as possible. **Vets should read the Disease Information Note.** It covers the clinical presentations described in cattle, sheep and goats. **For diagnostic investigation, use the right route.** In England and Wales, contact your local APHA Veterinary Investigation Centre or a Surveillance Pathology Partner. In Scotland, contact SRUC. **Do not change anything about how you buy, store or cook food.** The Food Standards Agency has found no evidence of a food safety risk. Normal food hygiene is what it always was: wash hands, keep raw and cooked separate, cook thoroughly, chill properly. **Milk and meat need no special handling because of this.** There is no advice to avoid any product, and no recall. **If you are immunosuppressed, this is not a reason to change your routine.** The single identified human case was in a severely immunosuppressed person, which understandably draws attention. But with one case internationally and no evidence of human-to-human spread, there is no action to take. If you have a specific worry about your own situation, your consultant or specialist nurse is the right person to ask - not a news article. **Midge control is ordinary good practice on farms.** Reducing standing water and muck where midges breed, and housing stock at peak midge activity, are measures used against other midge-borne diseases. **Expect the advice to be updated.** Four agencies have said they are monitoring and will review. Check GOV.UK rather than relying on this piece in a few months' time.
What to know
Shamonda virus has been detected in cattle at two dairy farms in Great Britain for the first time - one in Powys and one in Shropshire - in October 2026, confirmed at APHA laboratories in Weybridge and announced on 2 November 2026. It spreads mainly through Culicoides biting midges, not between people. It has been found in several European countries during 2026, including cattle in Jersey and the Republic of Ireland, so its arrival here was described by the APHA as not unexpected. It is not a notifiable disease and the APHA says no additional control measures are currently needed. Defra, the Welsh and Scottish Governments and the APHA are monitoring. For the public: risk is considered very low. One human case has been identified anywhere - in a severely immunosuppressed person in France - with no evidence of spread between people. UKHSA is monitoring. The Food Standards Agency has found no evidence of a food safety risk, so there is nothing to change about buying, storing or cooking food. For livestock keepers: watch for clinical signs, contact your own vet with concerns, treat early on clinical signs, and go through your local APHA Veterinary Investigation Centre or SRUC in Scotland for diagnostic investigation. Two farms is a first detection, not a measure of spread - and because reporting is voluntary, the official picture will likely lag behind the real one. Expect the guidance to be updated. Sources: GOV.UK (Animal and Plant Health Agency), 'Shamonda virus detected in livestock in Great Britain for first time', 2 November 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/shamonda-virus-detected-in-livestock-in-great-britain-for-first-time; Food Standards Agency, https://www.food.gov.uk; UK Health Security Agency, https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-health-security-agency This article is for general information and does not replace advice from a doctor, pharmacist, vet or other qualified professional. For animal health concerns contact your own veterinary surgeon; for your own health, contact your GP or NHS 111.
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