CALL TO REMOVE FLA. MONKEYS OVER VIRUS FEARS

ON THE SILVER RIVER, FLA. Wildlife managers in Florida say they want to remove roaming monkeys from the state in light of a new study published Wednesday that finds some of the animals are excreting a virus that can be dangerous to humans.

Scientists studying a growing population of rhesus macaques in Silver Springs State Park say that rather than just carrying herpes B, which is common in the species, some of the monkeys have the virus in their saliva and other bodily fluids, posing a potential risk of spreading the disease.

Human cases of the virus have been rare, with about 50 documented worldwide.

The findings, published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, prompted the researchers from the universities of Florida and Washington to warn Florida’s wildlife agency that the infected monkeys should be considered a public health concern.

“Without management action, the presence and continued expansion of nonnative rhesus macaques in Florida can result in serious human health and safety risks including human injury and transmission of disease,” Thomas Eason, assistant executive director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said in a statement.

MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Fire crews struggle through a “sticky mess” of mud and flooded waters in Montecito, Calif., on Wednesday after mudslides triggered by heavy rain swept away dozens of homes and killed several residents of the wealthy enclave.