Detection of Shamonda Virus RNA in Blood and Milk from Water Buffaloes in Southern Italy

Shamonda virus (SHAV), an emerging orthobunyavirus recently detected in Europe, was investigated in dairy water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) following reports of reduced milk production in Campania, southern Italy. In September 2026, 23 buffaloes from four farms in Salerno province were sampled, including EDTA blood from 15 animals and individual milk from eight. Samples were tested by RT-qPCR for SHAV and, in parallel, for Schmallenberg virus, bluetongue virus and epizootic haemorrhagic disease virus. SHAV RNA was detected in 10 of 15 blood samples and in all eight milk samples examined, whereas the other viruses were not detected. Three samples with the lowest Cq values were subjected to whole-genome sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis of the L, M and S segments showed that all three strains clustered within the SHAV-EU1 clade and were closely related to viruses detected in cattle in France, Germany and Switzerland in 2026. Although detection of viral RNA in milk does not demonstrate the presence of infectious virus or replication in the mammary gland, these findings document SHAV infection in water buffaloes and support the inclusion of this species in surveillance during the ongoing European emergence of SHAV.