The resurgence of Shamonda virus, an African Simbu group virus of the genus Orthobunyavirus, in Japan

Six virus isolations were made from Culicoides biting midges and blood samples of sentinel cattle in Kagoshima and Miyazaki Prefectures, the southern part of Japan, in 2002. Serological and genetical tests identified these viruses as isolates of Shamonda virus (SHAV), which belongs to the Simbu group of the genus Orthobunyavirus of the family Bunyaviridae. Initially, SHAV was isolated from cattle and Culicoides biting midges in Nigeria in the 1960s, and its presence has not been reported until this study. The present results indicate a wider distribution of SHAV than previously assumed.