Scientists are studying an outbreak of squirrel pox in the hope that it might provide information to help stop the red squirrel from dying out. Whilst an epidemic of the squirrel pox virus may be bad news for red squirrels in Liverpool it is hoped that studying how the virus is spread and what makes the red squirrels particularly vulnerable to it may help to save the species and ensure its long term survival. The virus is carried by both red and grey squirrels but the greys seem to unaffected by it whilst it is lethal to red squirrels. In 2007 there was a major outbreak of the disease in Formby in Lancashire which caused a 90% fall in the number of red squirrels in the area and is still affecting the population today. Scientists from the University of Liverpool will monitor the squirrels as part of a four year project. They hope to find out how the squirrels became infected and whether the surviving squirrels have developed any immunity to it. They should then be able to determine how the infection progresses and look at how to halt the spread.
