Analysis suggests rope squirrels are a natural reservoir of mpox virus
March 2, 2026
New findings reported in Nature provide rare molecular evidence of direct mpox transmission from a rope squirrel to wild sooty mangabeys in Côte d’Ivoire. The work strengthens long-held suspicions that African rodents serve as reservoirs, but it also sharpens concern about zoonotic spillover. Where wildlife is hunted, traded, or consumed, ecological interfaces become epidemiologic fault lines. Understanding these transmission pathways is not academic. It is central to preventing future outbreaks that begin in forests and end in cities.
A detailed investigation published in Nature offers compelling molecular evidence of direct interspecies mpox transmission in a national park in Côte d’Ivoire. Researchers documented a likely spillover event from a fire-footed rope squirrel to a group of wild sooty mangabey monkeys in 2023, supported by genomic sequencing, ecological data, and behavioral evidence collected over decades of wildlife monitoring.
Roughly one third of the mangabey group developed clinical signs of infection, and four infants died. The viral genome recovered from a deceased rope squirrel found weeks earlier was nearly identical to the strain infecting the mangabeys. Additional support came from fecal samples containing both squirrel DNA and viral material prior to the outbreak, as well as video evidence of mangabeys consuming the same squirrel species. Together, these findings move the field beyond speculation. They establish a plausible and well-supported pathway of direct rodent-to-primate transmission.
For years, African rodents, particularly squirrels, have been suspected reservoirs of mpox virus, but definitive evidence of direct transmission to non-human primates has been limited. This study narrows that gap and reframes mpox not only as a human public health issue but as an ecological one shaped by wildlife interactions.
The implications extend beyond conservation biology. In West and Central Africa, rodents and non-human primates are hunted, traded, and consumed. These practices create interfaces where zoonotic spillover into human populations becomes possible. Identifying animal sources and exposure routes, as emphasized by investigators at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, is essential for designing prevention strategies that address root causes rather than downstream outbreaks.
Mpox preparedness must therefore incorporate ecological surveillance alongside human case detection. Forest ecosystems are not peripheral to global health security. They are often where the next signal begins.