Several laboratory monkeys believed to be infected with multiple viruses escaped following a truck accident on a major Mississippi highway, raising public health concerns. The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon along Interstate 59, when a truck transporting rhesus monkeys overturned, according to a social media statement from the Jasper County Sheriff's Department.
The monkeys were being transported from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Authorities claim the animals may be infected with viruses such as hepatitis C and Covid-19, potentially posing a health risk to the public.
Officials have advised people not to approach the animals and to report any sightings immediately. The situation is under investigation.
"The monkeys are approximately 40lbs, they are aggressive to humans and they require [personal protective equipment] to handle," read the department's social media post.
All but one of the monkeys were said by local police officials to have been "destroyed" later on Tuesday. "We are continuing to look for the one monkey that is still on the loose," the sheriff's department added.
Rhesus monkeys, typically weighing between 9 and 26 pounds depending on sex, are widely used in scientific research due to their genetic similarity to humans. Their stable population is supported by high reproduction rates, with most mature females giving birth to at least one offspring annually.
Historically, rhesus monkeys have played a key role in advancing human knowledge, most notably, Albert II became the first monkey sent into space by the US in 1948, and rhesus antigens were crucial in the discovery of human blood group classifications.
