The Facts
- Researchers conducting long-term surveillance in Tai National Park, Côte d'Ivoire, have identified the fire-footed rope squirrel (Funisciurus pyrropus) as a potential source of the mpox virus. This follows a 2023 outbreak among a group of sooty mangabeys that affected nearly one-third of the 80-member group.
- The investigation traced the infection to a mangabey named Bako, who had consumed an infected fire-footed rope squirrel, with researchers finding the squirrel's carcass containing an identical viral strain to the one infecting the mangabeys.The research team's conclusion was supported by three key pieces of evidence — observed hunting behavior of mangabeys eating the F. pyrropus, the discovery of an infected squirrel carcass, and the presence of F. pyrropus DNA in Bako's earliest positive fecal sample.
The Spin
Narrative A
The identification of the fire-footed rope squirrel represents a breakthrough in the understanding of mpox transmission, with nearly all outbreaks of clade 1 mpox in Africa occurring in areas where people commonly eat these squirrels, and tested specimens consistently showing mpox antibodies. Hopefully, this discovery will contribute to efforts to prevent the spread of this virus.
Narrative B
More evidence is needed to definitively establish the fire-footed rope squirrel as a reservoir host, as there must be proof that most of these animals can maintain and shed the virus without getting sick, and other rodent species such as pouched rats have also been implicated in mpox transmission.
Metaculus Prediction
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