20th Century
Updated statement from Tulane:
“Nonhuman primates at the Tulane National Biomedical Research Center are provided to other research organizations to advance scientific discovery. This is a common practice among research organizations. On Oct. 28, a vehicle was transporting 21 Rhesus Macaques when an accident occurred on I-59 in Mississippi. The nonhuman primates were not being transported by Tulane, not owned by Tulane, and not in Tulane’s custody. The primates in question were not carrying any diseases and had received recent checkups confirming that they were pathogen-free. Although Tulane did not transport or own the nonhuman primates at the time of the incident, we sent a team of animal care experts to assist in this tragic incident. Questions regarding the missing nonhuman primates and other details of this case should be referred to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.”
A truck carrying monkeys infected with all sorts of diseases flipped over on a highway in Mississippi. According to reports, all of the monkeys were infected with either herpes, hepatitis and COVID.
According to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office in Mississippi, a truck carrying Rhesus monkeys from Tulane University in New Orleans was on its way to a testing facility in Florida when it crashed on I-59, outside of Heidelberg, Mississippi.
The sheriff’s office described the monkeys as being “40 pounds and aggressive to humans, requiring personal protective equipment to handle.”
Truck full of disease-carrying monkeys crashes on Mississippi highway, some monkeys escaped, others shot and killed
“Officials said if the monkeys left the wreck site, they must be shot. Initially, the sheriff’s office said all the monkeys escaped the truck, and all but one of them were shot.”
“However, in an updated post, the sheriff’s office said ‘several’ monkeys were still on the loose as of Tuesday afternoon.” [via WRDW]
Tulane University released the following statement regarding the incident, denying the sheriff’s office information about the monkeys having infectious diseases:
“Nonhuman primates at the Tulane National Biomedical Research Center are provided to other research organizations to advance scientific discovery. This is a common practice among research organizations. On Oct. 28, a vehicle was transporting 21 Rhesus Macaques when an accident occurred on I-59 in Mississippi. The nonhuman primates were not being transported by Tulane, not owned by Tulane, and not in Tulane’s custody. The primates in question were not carrying any diseases and had received recent checkups confirming that they were pathogen-free. Although Tulane did not transport or own the nonhuman primates at the time of the incident, we sent a team of animal care experts to assist in this tragic incident. Questions regarding the missing nonhuman primates and other details of this case should be referred to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.”
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said that three monkeys remained on the loose.