Lucrezia Ciotti The Shamonda virus is under observation after the first documented human case in France. No human infections have been reported in Italy , but the Ministry of Health has decided to strengthen surveillance with new guidelines for doctors and regional governments. Several questions remain regarding the mode of transmission and the potential risks to the public.
Shamonda virus: The Ministry of Health is strengthening surveillance: no human cases are known in Italy.
The Ministry of Health confirms that no human cases of Shamonda virus (SHAV) infection have been recorded in Italy to date , but urges continued vigilance following the first documented case reported in France.
A circular has been issued to provide operational guidance to health authorities and strengthen monitoring of both the population and animals. This measure comes amid reports that, since the summer of 2026, the pathogen has been identified in several Italian farms and in numerous other European countries.
The ministry emphasizes that current knowledge does not yet allow for a precise determination of the risk to public health.
The French patient , in fact, was severely immunocompromised : the clinical conditions observed cannot therefore be considered indicative of what could happen in the general population.
Although the bite of insects of the Culicoides genus represents a possible route of infection, transmission to humans through these vectors has not yet been demonstrated . Other possible ways of acquiring the infection, including transfusion, also remain to be clarified. Furthermore, there is currently no evidence of person-to-person transmission . The ministry therefore urges caution in interpreting the French case, without considering it evidence of a significant risk to the population.
Shamonda Virus: Guidance for Doctors and Regions: Pay Attention to Fragile Patients
To promptly identify potential infections, the circular recommends considering further testing in patients with acute neurological syndromes of infectious origin , once other causes, both viral and non-viral, have been ruled out. Particular attention should be paid to frail and immunocompromised individuals. The Ministry also considers it essential to inform family doctors, pediatricians, emergency specialists, infectious disease specialists, neurologists, and intensive care physicians about the risks associated with emerging zoonoses and neurological infections potentially associated with contact with animals or vectors. If a suspected case requires further investigation, biological samples—including serum, whole blood, urine, and possibly cerebrospinal fluid—should be sent to the National Reference Laboratory of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità, which is responsible for performing diagnostic and confirmatory tests and sharing protocols with regional laboratories.
Another point concerns case reporting : any suspected infection or positive result for the Shav virus must be promptly reported to the Ministry through the Premal surveillance system, using, where appropriate, the category for arthropod-borne viral encephalitis. Transfusions and transplants are also being monitored: the National Blood Center and the National Transplant Center will provide any new instructions based on evolving knowledge and guidance from European authorities.
Monitoring is conducted through collaboration between the Ministry, the National Reference Center for Exotic Animal Diseases (CESME), the National Institute of Health, the Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases, INAIL (National Institute for Accidents and Emergency), and the Arbovirus Operational Group. The goal is to integrate information on human and animal health according to the One Health approach, which considers the health of people, animals, and the environment to be closely interconnected. Recommendations may be updated based on new scientific and epidemiological evidence.
The Shamonda virus is best known for its circulation in the animal world, particularly affecting cattle , but has also been detected in sheep, goats, and horses. In the summer of 2026, it was identified in European livestock farms, and its presence has been confirmed in several countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, and Switzerland. In France, the first documented human case may have been linked to the bite of an infected insect in the east of the country, where the pathogen had already been circulating in animals during the spring and summer. However, the species responsible for any transmission has not been identified, and investigations are still ongoing.