High genetic diversity of mpox virus (MPXV) in three different rodent species in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Abstract

Altough zoonotic spillover events continue to drive human mpox outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the wildlife reservoir of mpox virus (MPXV) remains unkown. To address this gap, we screened samples from 2,701 wild mammals, mainly rodents (59.7%), bats (26.4%) and shrews (12.1%). Only six (0.2%) animals were Orthopoxvirus (OPV) PCR positive. Near full-length MPXV sequences were obtained from two squirrels ( Funisciurus anerythrus and Paraxerus sp.) and one soft furred mouse ( Praomys jacksoni ). A novel Taterapox virus was identified in a shrew ( Crocidura cf. denti ). All newly identified MPXV strains belong to clade Ia, but they cluster into different groups or subgroups, despite being collected from geographically close locations, and all are closely related to human MPXV strains from the same regions. Our study provides for the first time clear evidence that MPXV diversity is not restricted to a single rodent host species nor confined to a geographic area. Importantly, MPXV positive Paraxerus and Praomys specimens were sampled close to Kisangani, a city with more than one million habitants, highlighting that spillover events can also occur in or near major cities, with more favorable conditions for interhuman transmissions and potential emergence of new lineages.