‎⁨PREreviews of Two incursions, two viruses: Emergence of a second novel Shamonda virus clade in Central Europe, 2026⁩

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Two incursions, two viruses: Emergence of a second novel Shamonda virus clade in Central Europe, 2026

by Kerstin Wernike, Florian Pfaff, Sophie Zeiske, Dirk Höper, and Martin Beer

Posted: September 7, 2026
Server: bioRxiv
DOI: 10.64898/2026.09.05.749452

Abstract

Following the emergence of Shamonda virus (SHAV) in Europe in 2026, we identified a second, genetically distinct SHAV clade in cattle in Germany. Consistent differences across all three genome segments together with divergent regional distribution patterns indicate independent introductions. We have designated the two clades as SHAV Europe 1 (SHAV-EU1) and SHAV Europe 2 (SHAV-EU2). The unexpected co-circulation of these two clades has important implications for diagnostics, surveillance, host range assessment, risk evaluation, and control measures.

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PREreview by Aditi Kulkarni et al.

Authored by Aditi Kulkarni and Nicole Omori

Summary

The preprint proposes that there are two distinct clades of the Shamonda virus (SHAV), a midge-borne virus that infects cattle, sheep, and goats recently found in Europe, from two different introductions. They used RT-qPCR to distinguish between the new virus and the related Schmallenberg…

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