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

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.