An "aggressive" and potentially infectious lab monkey escapes in Mississippi after a vehicle accident

A group of potentially sick laboratory monkeys escaped Tuesday after a vehicle accident on a major interstate highway in Missississippi. According to a Facebook post from the Jasper County Sheriff's Department, a truck carrying rhesus monkeys was involved in an accident on Interstate 59 during afternoon hours. The department added thatauthorities "destroyed "all but one of the monkeys, who remains unaccounted for, assuring that "We are continuing to look for the one monkey that is still on the loose."

Similarly, the department said the monkeys came from Tulane University's National Biomedical Research Center in Covington, Louisiana, and explained that these were infected with several viruses, including Covid-19 and even hepatitis C and herpes. The police force added that these animals posed a serious health hazard to humans and detailed in its social media post that "The monkeys are approximately 40lbs, they are aggressive to humans and they require [personal protective equipment] to handle"

According to the police agency, the driver of the truck transporting the monkeys informed local authorities that the animals were "dangerous and posed a threat to humans", so anyone who came into contact with them should wear personal protective equipment when handling them. "We took the appropriate actions after being given that information from the person transporting the monkeys," the sheriff's office said.

The accident occurred approximately 100 miles (160 kilometers) from the state capital, Jackson. So far, it isnot clear what caused the truck to overturn, nor is it known where the monkeys were headed.