CDC Concerned About Lab Monkey Exposure After Truck Crash

Pennsylvania woman Michelle Fallon fell ill shortly after helping at the scene of a crash in which a truck carrying 100 lab monkeys spilled crates full of primates across the highway, the Daily Mail reported.

The truck carrying monkeys collided with a dump truck Friday in Montour County, Pennsylvania, the Daily Mail reported. Four monkeys went missing and were located by Saturday evening following a search by state troopers and wildlife officials in below-freezing temperatures.

Fallon developed a severe cough and pink eye the day after the incident and visited the emergency room, according to Daily Mail. She reportedly received a rabies injection and antiviral medication, and she is monitoring herself for further symptoms.

Fallon said she walked in monkey feces and stuck her hand in the monkey crates after initially believing the creates had cats in them, the Daily Mail reported. The monkeys, which were reportedly shipped in from Mauritius the morning of the crash, were sent to a CDC-approved quarantine facility.

Each monkey was believed to cost approximately $10,000, the Daily Mail reported. The monkey is reportedly in particularly high demand for experiments with COVID vaccines.

The CDC asked those in contact with the monkeys, including Fallon and the first responders, to seek medical attention and contact the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Daily Mail reported.