The has placed the country on alert following the spread of the shamonda virus across cattle farms. This follows the first global human fatality, an immunosuppressed individual in , on 22 October.
First detected in Spanish livestock in September 2026, the virus has reached Córdoba, Toledo, Cantabria, Madrid, Ávila, and Girona. While not fatal to animals, the mosquito-borne disease causes fever and significant drops in milk production for farmers.
French authorities are now conducting 'One Health' investigations into the human case, though they maintain there is no current risk to the general public. The emerging disease has now been confirmed in twelve European nations, including the .