Overview
- The study documents the first observed transmission of monkeypox virus in the wild from fire-footed rope squirrels to sooty mangabeys in Taï National Park.
- Genome sequencing showed near-identical MPXV in mangabeys and a rope squirrel found dead 12 weeks earlier near the affected group.
- A mangabey fecal sample collected eight weeks before the outbreak contained DNA from both MPXV and rope squirrels, indicating a likely exposure event.
- Field observations recorded mangabeys catching and eating rope squirrels, providing a direct route for cross-species infection.
- Researchers report that about one-third of the mangabey group showed clinical signs and four infants died, and they urge targeted surveillance, community awareness, and further reservoir-focused studies to reduce human spillover risk.