First UK cases of midge-borne virus found in Shropshire and Mid Wales cattle

The first UK cases of a midge-borne virus have been found in Shropshire and Mid Wales cattle.

The presence of the emerging Shamonda Virus (SHAV) was found at two dairy farms, close to the English and Welsh border - one in Shropshire and the other in Powys.

The virus was confirmed by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) after it was identified by the Mid Wales vet, Oli Hodgkinson, who works at Trefaldwyn Vets in Montgomery.

The virus, which is thought to be primarily spread by Culicoides biting midges, has been identified in animals in several European countries during 2026, including more recently in cattle in Jersey and the Republic of Ireland.

last month it was detected in cattle at the Shropshire and Mid Wales dairy farms, with samples collected and tested at APHA laboratories in Weybridge.

The APHA said that the discovery was not a surprise, and currently no restrictions or control measures are required - as in the case of other conditions which impact farms such as blue tongue or bird flu.

A statement from organisation said: “This detection is not unexpected given recent reports of the virus in Europe and demonstrates that our surveillance and diagnostic systems are effective in being able to identify new and emerging diseases in our livestock.

“SHAV is not a notifiable or reportable disease and there is currently no evidence to suggest that additional disease-control measures are required; however, Defra, Welsh Government, Scottish Government and APHA will continue to monitor the epidemiological situation and review the response as further evidence becomes available.”

Mr Hodgkinson explained how he had ended up confirming the presence of the disease.

He said: “We have had blue tongue in the area and we have got some trends going on on some of our farms, some of our farms had outbreaks of diarrhoea, some have had outbreaks of abortions.

“One of them had all of the symptoms so what I could not work out was what was going on here because out of the five farms four had blue tongue vaccinations so I was thinking ‘this is not right’.”

Mr Hodgkinson said he had discussed the concerns with other vets on Map of Ag and one had suggested the possibility it could be Shamonda Virus.

Following the suggestion the Montgomery vet spoke with contacts at the APHA and arranged sampling, adding: “And blow me down, two farms came back positive - one highly positive.”

Mr Hodgkinson said it was important that the public and the farming community understand that the farms involved had not brought the virus into the country.

He even speculated that the virus is likely to have worked its way from east to west across the country to reach the Shropshire and Mid Wales border, with many farms in the country potential having experienced Shamonda without it being detected.

He said: “It needs to be highlighted, they have not brought it into the country, it has come in on a midge.”

Reflecting on the discovery he said: “It is very hard to diagnose, we were just exceptionally lucky/unlucky to have found it on the farms we found it at.”

Mr Hodgkinson said the hope is that the virus does not have long term impacts on the herds affected, but he said that would only be confirmed by monitoring over time.

He said: “Because it is such a new disorder we don’t really know what the long-term outcome will be, my gut feeling is it has piggybacked with other diseases.”

Shamonda was originally detected in Jersey about a month ago.

Mr Hodgkinson said his hunch was “everyone has had it”.

He said: “You have not got a midge that has simply flown to this area.”

The vet added that the farms affected are “actually nowhere near each other”.

He added: “The only slight worry is because pregnancy lasts for nine months you do not know what the damage is - that it has done to the calves, that is the only worry.”

There has been one case of a human contracting the virus in France, but that person was described as “very immuno-compromised” and the transmission took place from a midge, not a cow.

The APHA has urged farmers to keep a close eye on their herds, and contact their vet if they become worried.

A statement said: “Livestock keepers should continue to monitor their animals for clinical signs and contact their private veterinarian if they have concerns, and to treat animals based on clinical signs, as early as possible.

“Vets should familiarise themselves with the clinical signs described for SHAV. To discuss diagnostic investigation, contact your local APHA Veterinary Investigation Centre (VIC) or Surveillance Pathology Partner in England and Wales or SRUC .”

People can read about the clinical presentations associated with SHAV in cattle, sheep and goats in the Disease Information Note.

The APHA added: “To date, a single human case of Shamonda virus infection has been identified in a severely immunosuppressed person in France.

“However, there is currently no evidence of wider transmission among humans and the current risk to the general population is considered very low. The UKHSA are continuing to monitor the situation closely.

“The Food Standards Agency has confirmed there is currently no evidence that Shamonda virus poses a food safety risk.”