The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has confirmed this Thursday that Spain is in a state of "alert" due to the presence of the Shamonda virus (SHAV) in livestock farms in the country. The warning comes after France reported the death of a man with severe immunodeficiency infected by this pathogen, which would be the first known case of human infection in the world.
The department led by Luis Planas has asked for "calm" and has assured that it is monitoring the evolution of the disease in coordination with the autonomous communities, health authorities, and the French government. So far, the virus had been primarily identified in animals and was not considered transmissible to humans.
In Spain, detections have been confirmed in farms in Córdoba, Toledo, Ávila, Madrid, Girona, and Cantabria, according to the latest update from the Ministry. Surveillance has intensified following the appearance of the human case in France, although French authorities insist that, for the moment, "no health risk has been identified for the general population".
The first known human case
The death recorded in France represents a change in the understanding of this pathogen. According to information provided by French authorities and collected by Agriculture, the deceased had severe immunodeficiency and was infected with the Shamonda virus, whose transmission to humans had not been documented until now.
French authorities have initiated clinical, biological, and epidemiological investigations to clarify the circumstances of the case. The work is being carried out under the One Health approach, which studies human, animal, and environmental health jointly.
For the moment, it has not been established that the virus represents a risk to the general population. Agriculture has stated that it continues to be in permanent contact with France to learn about the results of the investigations and assess any changes in the health situation.
Six Spanish provinces with affected farms
The Shamonda virus was first detected in Spanish livestock last September. Since then, the Central Veterinary Laboratory of Algete has confirmed the presence of Shamonda type 1 in cattle farms in Córdoba, Toledo, Ávila, and Madrid.
These outbreaks are joined by three dairy cattle farms in Girona, where the pathogen was identified on October 20. In Cantabria, for its part, the presence of Shamonda virus type 2 has been confirmed.
The detections have occurred through the passive surveillance system, from animals that presented symptoms compatible with those described in other European countries. The Ministry will continue studying the evolution of the cases and the characteristics of the identified viruses.
The expansion is not limited to Spain. The pathogen has already been detected in twelve European countries, including France, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and the Netherlands, after it was first identified in Europe last summer.
How the Shamonda virus is transmitted and what symptoms it causes
Shamonda is an emerging virus that primarily affects cattle, although it has also been identified in sheep and goats. Its transmission among animals occurs through the bites of small insects of the genus Culicoides, known as midges.
Infected animals may present fever, diarrhea, lethargy, and a decrease in milk production. According to Agriculture, the disease usually does not cause the death of the animal, but it can lead to productive losses in the affected farms.
Currently, the virus is not classified as a notifiable disease in livestock. However, its recent expansion across Europe and the identification of the first human case have led to strengthened epidemiological monitoring.
The Ministry has assured that surveillance will continue with special attention to the evolution of the outbreaks, the characterization of the detected viruses, and their relationship with the variants identified in other European countries.