The hunter and the hunted: mpox in the Mkpot rainforest community of Nigeria

Clement A. Meseko; Nanven Maurice; Ismaila Shittu; Bernard A. Onoja; Dennis Kabantiyok; Moses Oguche; Jolly Adole; Adeniyi Egbetade; Ifeanyi Abali; Henry Arikpo; Bassey Edet; Cole A. Adekanmbi; Adeyinka J. Adedeji

doi:10.1093/trstmh/traf085

The hunter and the hunted: mpox in the Mkpot rainforest community of Nigeria

Clement A. Meseko
, Nanven Maurice
, Ismaila Shittu
, Bernard A. Onoja
, Dennis Kabantiyok
, Moses Oguche
, Jolly Adole
, Adeniyi Egbetade
, Ifeanyi Abali
, Henry Arikpo
, Bassey Edet
, Cole A. Adekanmbi
, Adeyinka J. Adedeji

Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

We describe challenges and opportunities during the mpox virus animal reservoir surveillance expedition to the Mkpot community in Nigeria, a remote enclave in the heart of the Cross River rainforest that is replete with viral and ecological footprints. Anecdotal evidence of mpox in Mkpot and adjoining villages, and the absence of domestic animals where wild animal hunting and consumption is intense, suggests potential spillover of infections at the human–animal interface, requiring active surveillance and monitoring.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1313-1315
Number of pages	3
Journal	Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
Volume	119
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/traf085
State	Published - Dec 2025
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Nigeria
animal
monkeypox
public health surveillance
virus

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Parasitology
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Infectious Diseases

Access to Document

10.1093/trstmh/traf085

Cite this

Meseko, C. A., Maurice, N., Shittu, I., Onoja, B. A., Kabantiyok, D., Oguche, M., Adole, J., Egbetade, A., Abali, I., Arikpo, H., Edet, B., Adekanmbi, C. A., & Adedeji, A. J. (2025). The hunter and the hunted: mpox in the Mkpot rainforest community of Nigeria. Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, 119(12), 1313-1315. https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/traf085

Meseko, CA, Maurice, N, Shittu, I, Onoja, BA, Kabantiyok, D, Oguche, M, Adole, J, Egbetade, A, Abali, I, Arikpo, H, Edet, B, Adekanmbi, CA & Adedeji, AJ 2025, 'The hunter and the hunted: mpox in the Mkpot rainforest community of Nigeria', Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, vol. 119, no. 12, pp. 1313-1315. https://doi.org/10.1093/trstmh/traf085

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abstract = "We describe challenges and opportunities during the mpox virus animal reservoir surveillance expedition to the Mkpot community in Nigeria, a remote enclave in the heart of the Cross River rainforest that is replete with viral and ecological footprints. Anecdotal evidence of mpox in Mkpot and adjoining villages, and the absence of domestic animals where wild animal hunting and consumption is intense, suggests potential spillover of infections at the human–animal interface, requiring active surveillance and monitoring.",

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doi = "10.1093/trstmh/traf085",

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AU - Oguche, Moses

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AU - Abali, Ifeanyi

AU - Arikpo, Henry

AU - Edet, Bassey

AU - Adekanmbi, Cole A.

AU - Adedeji, Adeyinka J.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact [email protected] for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site-for further information please contact [email protected]

PY - 2025/12

Y1 - 2025/12

N2 - We describe challenges and opportunities during the mpox virus animal reservoir surveillance expedition to the Mkpot community in Nigeria, a remote enclave in the heart of the Cross River rainforest that is replete with viral and ecological footprints. Anecdotal evidence of mpox in Mkpot and adjoining villages, and the absence of domestic animals where wild animal hunting and consumption is intense, suggests potential spillover of infections at the human–animal interface, requiring active surveillance and monitoring.

AB - We describe challenges and opportunities during the mpox virus animal reservoir surveillance expedition to the Mkpot community in Nigeria, a remote enclave in the heart of the Cross River rainforest that is replete with viral and ecological footprints. Anecdotal evidence of mpox in Mkpot and adjoining villages, and the absence of domestic animals where wild animal hunting and consumption is intense, suggests potential spillover of infections at the human–animal interface, requiring active surveillance and monitoring.

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KW - virus

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The hunter and the hunted: mpox in the Mkpot rainforest community of Nigeria

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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