idw – Informationsdienst Wissenschaft
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
A cross-species transmission event documented in Côte d’Ivoire provides new insights into the spread of mpox in the wild
Researchers at the Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH), a site of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI), together with an interdisciplinary team of partners, have identified the fire-footed rope squirrel (Funisciurus pyrropus) as a likely natural reservoir of the monkeypox virus (MPXV). Their study was published today in the renowned scientific journal Nature. The discovery was based on the detailed investigation of an mpox outbreak among wild sooty mangabeys (Cercocebus atys) in Taï National Park, Côte d’Ivoire. Scientists combined ecological, behavioral and molecular evidence to document, for the first time, the interspecies transmission of MPXV in the wild, from fire-footed rope squirrels to sooty mangabeys.
Mpox is a zoonotic disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV) that can lead to severe illness in humans. It regularly spills over from wildlife to humans in West and Central Africa, and some of these spillovers have recently sparked large global outbreaks sustained by human-to-human transmission. In order to prevent such outbreaks effectively, it is crucial to gain a thorough understanding of how the virus circulates in wildlife and what triggers spillover events.
A deadly outbreak among mangabeys
For decades, the researchers now at HIOH have worked closely with the Taï Chimpanzee Project to monitor the health of wild chimpanzees, sooty mangabeys and other wildlife in Taï National Park, Côte d'Ivoire — a long-term commitment that proved essential to detecting this transmission event. In early 2023, the team identified an outbreak of mpox in a well-studied group of sooty mangabeys: About one third of the group showed clinical signs of disease, and four infants died.
Viral genome sequencing revealed that the virus detected in the infected monkeys was nearly identical to an MPXV strain identified in a fire-footed rope squirrel found dead 12 weeks earlier nearby. In an attempt to link both observations, the team analyzed fecal samples from the mangabeys, seeking evidence of pre-outbreak MPXV circulation and contact between the host species. One sample collected eight weeks before the outbreak onset contained DNA from both the virus and the rope squirrel, providing strong evidence of interspecies transmission at this moment. Behavioral data supported these findings. Sooty mangabeys from this group have already been observed catching and eating fire-footed rope squirrels, which provides a direct route for the transmission of viruses.
Squirrels under suspicion: now confirmed
Squirrels have long been suspected as potential reservoirs for MPXV. The first isolation of the virus from a wild animal was from a rope squirrel (Funisciurus anaerythrus) captured in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1985. In 2003, imported squirrels infected with MPXV were also among the rodents suspected to have been the source of an mpox outbreak in pet prairie dog owners in the US. Yet, these animals had never been shown to be directly responsible for an outbreak in another species in nature. The new study is a breakthrough that starts unveiling how the pathogen circulates in the wild.
What this means for human health
As hunting pressure has reduced populations of larger game species, rodents such as squirrels are increasingly hunted and consumed by humans, which likely heightens the risk of human exposure and zoonotic transmission of MPXV. Therefore, confirming the direct involvement of fire-footed rope squirrels in interspecies transmission carries important public health implications.
“Identifying the animal sources of the virus and the exposure routes that lead to inter-species transmission are key steps towards understanding spillover mechanisms and developing effective prevention measures to mitigate the risk of transmission to humans,” says Livia V. Patrono, one of the senior authors at HIOH.
The authors recommend increasing awareness among people who come into contact with squirrels and other wildlife, such as children. In addition, they call for a deeper understanding of MPXV ecology in reservoir species – especially squirrels – as well as in intermediate hosts, particularly non-human primates, in MPXV-endemic regions, to strengthen evidence-based prevention strategies.
One Health approach more relevant than ever
The findings underscore the importance of a One Health approach that recognizes the links between human, animal, and environmental health. “This discovery was only possible thanks to long-term ecological research, continuous health monitoring and systematic sample collection in the Taï National Park,” says Fabian Leendertz, senior author, director of HIOH and co-director of the Taï Chimpanzee Project. “We need to maintain and expand this kind of effort to better understand and hopefully reduce the risks posed by emerging infectious diseases, including mpox – we need to strengthen prevention.”
Josef Penninger, Scientific Director of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, adds: “This study also highlights the value of close cooperation with our African partners. Only through strong, trust-based collaborations with local authorities and research institutions can we effectively tackle zoonotic diseases and make an impact, not just regionally, but globally.”
Study information:
The study was carried out in collaboration with an international team of researchers from the following institutions:
• Taï Chimpanzee Project, Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
• Université Peleforo Gon Coulibaly Korhogo, Korhogo, Côte d’Ivoire
• Senckenberg Museum for Natural History Görlitz, Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, Germany
• Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute, Greifswald–Insel Riems, Germany
• Dresden University of Technology, Germany
• Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
• Institute of Cognitive Sciences, CNRS UMR5229, University of Lyon, France
• German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
• Université Félix Houphouët-Boigny d’Abidjan-Cocody, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
• University of Greifswald, Germany
• University Medicine Greifswald, Germany
Within the Helmholtz Institute for One Health, the study involved scientists from the research groups “Ecology and Emergence of Zoonotic Diseases”, “Evolutionary Community Ecology”, and “Pathogen Evolution”.
This press release is also available on our website: https://www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en/media-center/newsroom/news-detail/fire-footed-ro....
Helmholtz Institute for One Health:
The Helmholtz Institute for One Health (HIOH) is dedicated to interdisciplinary research on the interrelationships between human, animal and environmental health. HIOH’s goal is a better understanding of zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and the evolution of pathogens as a prerequisite for successful pandemic preparedness and prevention. In accordance with the One Health approach, according to which the health of humans, animals and environment is to be regarded as an inseparable whole, HIOH unites a variety of scientific disciplines and research foci under one roof. http://www.helmholtz-hioh.de/en
Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research:
Scientists at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and its other sites in Germany are engaged in the study of bacterial and viral infections and the body’s defense mechanisms. They have a profound expertise in natural compound research and its exploitation as a valuable source for novel anti-infectives. As member of the Helmholtz Association and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) the HZI performs translational research laying the ground for the development of new treatments and vaccines against infectious diseases. http://www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en
Contact:
Magdalena Włodarz
Scientific Coordinator
Telephone + 49 3834 3916 901
hioh-pr@helmholtz-hzi.de
Helmholtz Institute for One Health
Fleischmannstraße 42
17489 Greifswald, Germany
Carme Riutord-Fe, Jasmin Schlotterbeck, Lorenzo Lagostina, Leonce Kouadio, Harriet R. Herridge, Moritz J. S. Jochum, Nea Yves Noma, Ane López-Morales, Donata Hoffmann, Sten Calvelage, Hjalmar Kühl, Alexander Mielke, Catherine Crockford, Liran Samuni, Roman M. Wittig, Martin Beer, Sery Gonedelé-Bi, Jan F. Gogarten, Sébastien Calvignac-Spencer, Ariane Düx, Livia V. Patrono, Fabian H. Leendertz: Transmission of MPXV from fire-footed rope squirrels to sooty mangabeys. Nature (2026), DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-10086-y
https://www.helmholtz-hioh.de/en/newsroom/news/detail/news/fire-footed-rope-squi... HIOH News: Fire-footed rope squirrels identified as a natural reservoir for monkeypox virus
https://www.taichimpproject.org/ Homepage of the Taï Chimpanzee Project
HIOH researchers could recently show that sooty mangabeys can contract mpox by eating infected squir ...
Source: Ane Lopez-Morales
Copyright: Taï Chimpanzee Project/Ane Lopez-Morales
Criteria of this press release:
Business and commerce, Journalists, Scientists and scholars, Students
Biology, Environment / ecology, Medicine, Zoology / agricultural and forest sciences
transregional, national
Research results, Scientific Publications
English
HIOH researchers could recently show that sooty mangabeys can contract mpox by eating infected squir ...
Source: Ane Lopez-Morales
Copyright: Taï Chimpanzee Project/Ane Lopez-Morales
You can combine search terms with and, or and/or not, e.g. Philo not logy.
You can use brackets to separate combinations from each other, e.g. (Philo not logy) or (Psycho and logy).
Coherent groups of words will be located as complete phrases if you put them into quotation marks, e.g. “Federal Republic of Germany”.
You can also use the advanced search without entering search terms. It will then follow the criteria you have selected (e.g. country or subject area).
If you have not selected any criteria in a given category, the entire category will be searched (e.g. all subject areas or all countries).
