Florida is known for its wildlife, such as alligators, sharks, snakes and manatees — now you can add herpes-spreading monkeys to the list.
Rhesus macaques, a type of monkey now home to the central Florida region, is a non-native species not protected by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, meaning homeowners can remove them from their properties themselves. However, Florida residents might not want to mess with these monkeys because many of them have tested positive for Herpes B, according to the CDC.
Monkeys in Florida have deadly herpes, so please don’t touch them https://t.co/gi77oCkWGf pic.twitter.com/3p3u3Wc79a
— The Verge (@verge) January 11, 2018
“B virus infection is extremely rare, but it can lead to severe brain damage or death if you do not get treatment immediately,” the CDC stated.
The rhesus macaques monkeys were brought to Florida and placed on an island in the Silver Springs State Park to attract tourists, according to Click Orlando. However, the monkeys swam off the island to surrounding forests, where they continued to breed and increase in numbers. At one point, there were 400 monkeys reported, according to Click Orlando. (RELATED: 10-Year-Old Boy Fatally Attacked By Group Of Aggressive Monkeys In India)
Herpes B causes very few symptoms in the monkeys but can be very dangerous for humans, according to The Verge. The outlet quoted Samantha Wisely, a wildlife biologist at the University of Florida, who said: “There’s really a low risk of you getting it, but if you get it, there are going to be very high consequences.”
To avoid contracting this rare but dangerous disease, the CDC says those who see them should keep their distance and never attempt to feed them.