Squirrels could be a reservoir for the virus that causes mpox

Parker, Edyth; Happi, Christian

doi:10.1038/d41586-026-00175-x

NEWS AND VIEWS
11 February 2026

Squirrels could be a reservoir for the virus that causes mpox

The species in which monkeypox virus naturally circulates is uncertain, but wildlife surveillance data suggest that the fire-footed rope squirrel is a likely candidate.

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Edyth Parker
1. Edyth Parker is at the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Genomics and Global Health, Redeemer’s University, Ede 232101, Nigeria.
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Christian Happi
1. Christian Happi is at the African Centre of Excellence for Genomics of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Genomics and Global Health, Redeemer’s University, Ede 232101, Nigeria.
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Mpox is a zoonotic disease, meaning it can be transmitted to humans from an animal host. Although it is known to be caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV; Orthopoxvirus monkeypox), the reservoir for MPXV — the host, or hosts, that enables the pathogen to persist in nature — remains uncertain. Writing in Nature, Riutord-Fe et al.¹ report one of the most comprehensive investigations of wildlife disease outbreaks so far. They present several lines of evidence that a transmission event from fire-footed rope squirrels (Funisciurus pyrropus) is the probable origin of an MPXV outbreak in a wild population of sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys) in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire. The study provides crucial insights into squirrel species as potential natural reservoirs, and emphasizes the ongoing risk of transmission at the human–animal interface, particularly in the wild meat trade.

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-00175-x

References

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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[1] Riutord-Fe, C. et al. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-10086-y (2026).
Article Google Scholar

[2] Khodakevich, L., Jezek, Z. & Kinzanzka, K. Lancet 1, 98–99 (1986).
Article PubMed Google Scholar

[3] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Morb. Mortal. Wkly Rep. 52, 589–590 (2003).
PubMed Google Scholar

[4] Hutson, C. L. et al. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 76, 757–768 (2007).
Article PubMed Google Scholar

[5] Matondo Kuamfumu, M. et al. Preprint at bioRxiv https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.08.28.672325 (2025).

[6] Tiee, M. S., Harrigan, R. J., Thomassen, H. A. & Smith, T. B. R. Soc. Open Sci. 5, 171089 (2018).
Article PubMed Google Scholar

[7] Leroy, E. M. et al. Nature 438, 575–576 (2005).
Article PubMed Google Scholar

[8] Dugan, V. G. et al. PLoS Pathog. 4, e1000076 (2008).
Article PubMed Google Scholar

[9] Letko, M., Seifert, S. N., Olival, K. J., Plowright, R. K. & Munster, V. J. Nature Rev. Microbiol. 18, 461–471 (2020).
Article PubMed Google Scholar

[10] Viana, M. et al. Trends Ecol. Evol. 29, 270–279 (2014).
Article PubMed Google Scholar

[11] Reynolds, M. G. et al. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 82, 746–754 (2010).
Article PubMed Google Scholar

Squirrels could be a reservoir for the virus that causes mpox

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References

Competing Interests

Related Articles

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Latest on:

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Post-doc (2 years) in Organic Electronics at Umeå University, Sweden

Tenure and Tenure-Track Faculty Positions (All Ranks)-Basic and/or Translational Infectious Disease

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