'Deadly' virus among monkeys
2005-06-06 15:24
Taipei, Taiwan - Taiwanese officials on Monday warned hikers and tourists not to feed wild monkeys, saying a potentially deadly virus had been discovered among some 30 Taiwanese macaques.
The animals, in Shou Mountain near the southern city of Kaohsiung, had been put in quarantine after they were found to carry CHV-1 virus.
No human cases were found, health officials said.
Infected monkeys develop blisters or ulcers on their tongues, lips or mouths, the Center for Disease Control said.
It said humans contracting the virus could develop high fevers and muscle pain and that it was potentially fatal if it spread to the human nervous system.
The wild monkeys, numbering about 800, are a tourist attraction in the Shou Mountain area, and visitors have ignored repeated warnings from officials not to feed them, said Kaohsiung municipal official Lee Yeh-tien.
Authorities have considered relocating the wild monkeys to more isolated spots, but have faced opposition from local residents fearing attacks from the animals, he said.
- AP