VIDEO: Monkey Population With Herpes Virus Could Double In Central Florida

By WFTV // January 2, 2019

monkeys carry a herpes virus that is deadly to humans

ABOVE VIDEO: A population of monkeys that lives in Silver Springs State Park, carrying a herpes virus that is deadly to humans, could double in the next few years.

MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA (WFTV) – A population of monkeys that lives in Silver Springs State Park, carrying a herpes virus that is deadly to humans, could double in the next few years.

The troop of rhesus macaques were brought to Central Florida in the 1930s as part of a long-since closed attraction in the park. They were placed on a small island, but the monkeys didn’t stay there.

There have been monkey sightings all over Central Florida, including one caught on camera in 2015 when students spotted a rhesus macaque running around on the roof of their school in The Villages.

In 2017, cell phone video recorded aggressive monkeys taking over a park pavilion and going after people.

The monkeys carry a herpes virus that is deadly to humans and can be spread through a bite or scratch.

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