Red Squirrels Show Signs Of Recovery from Deadly Poxvirus

The red squirrel population in the UK, long on the brink of complete destruction, has shown signs of resistance to a deadly poxvirus which has killed hundreds of thousands of them over the decades.

A study in an area of Merseyside in the North East of England has shown that around 10 percent of the population there now carry squirrelpox antibodies in their bloodstream. The antibodies, which enable the squirrels and their descendants to respond to the virus also indicate that a number of the animals have had the disease but have recovered.