Monkeys that were brought to Florida around the time of the 1939 filming of the movie "Tarzan Finds a Son" are ravaging the state, and they've got herpes.
A tour guide named Colonel Tooey brought three pairs of Rhesus monkeys to a small Florida island to promote tourism after the popular movie's release, but he wasn't expecting them to learn how to swim, the New York Post reported.
The population has now grown to over 1,000, and the primates are considered a public health hazard. State officials have managed to catch about 700 of them troublesome monkeys over the past 10 years, almost all of which tested positive for the herpes-B virus.
The monkeys are believed to be a "natural host for the virus," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported.
The infection is rare in humans, but when it does it can cause severe neurologic impairment, fatal encephalomyelitis, and even death. People who work with monkeys are most at risk for the disease. It is usually caused by bites, scratches, or contact with body fluid from infected animals.
Symptoms include: small blisters, pain, itching, or numbness near the site of infection; flu-like body aches; fever; chills; headaches lasting longer than 24 hours; shortness of breath, problems with muscle coordination; and fatigue.
Silver River tour operator Captain Tom O'Lenick doesn't mind the monkeys, and said his customers love them.
"Everybody who comes on the river for a tour wants to see the monkeys," O'Lenick told the New York Post. "From my point of view, as a naturalist, I think the planet changes naturally and species do move around, whether that is by man or other means," he said.
Wildlife photographer Graham McGeorge also defends the monkey's controversial presence, the Daily Mail reported.
"They are not a pest to people - people are pest to the macaques. People feed them and this is not cool. You should never feed wildlife. "Just like any other wild animal you need to give them space," he said, the Daily Mail reported.
