OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
12:07 PM – Thursday, October 30, 2025
A shipment of innocent research monkeys met a tragic end this week after a truck carrying the animals overturned on Interstate 59, prompting a chaotic response fueled by false reports that the primates were infected with dangerous diseases — including “hepatitis C, herpes, and COVID.”
According to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department, the accident occurred near Heidelberg, Mississippi, when a vehicle transporting several rhesus macaques overturned, releasing some of the animals onto the roadway and nearby wooded areas.
On the day of the incident, authorities had described the scene as “confused and tense,” with early reports suggesting the monkeys were “aggressive” and potentially infected with viruses such as hepatitis C, herpes B, and COVID-19.
“On 10/28/25 a wreck occurred on I59 near mile marker 117. This was a truck carrying Rehsus [rhesus] monkeys from Tulane University. The monkeys are approximately 40lbs, they are aggressive to humans and they require PPE to handle. The monkeys carry hepatitis C, herpes, and COVID. Tulane University has been notified and will send a team to pick up the monkeys tomorrow ( the ones that are still caged),” the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department initially posted on Facebook.
However, police later shifted blame to the vehicle’s driver, alleging that he was the one who had claimed the monkeys were a threat — and implying that he was the source of the misinformation.
“Tulane has released the statement below. The driver of the truck told local law enforcement that the monkeys were dangerous and posed a threat to humans. We took the the appropriate actions after being given that information from the person transporting the monkeys. He also stated that you had wear PPE equipment to handle the monkeys,” the department later added.
Law enforcement officers, acting on those warnings, reportedly killed several of the animals in what officials described as a “public safety measure.”
Sheriff’s deputies initially stated that “all but one” of the monkeys were “destroyed” following the escape. However, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Department said in a later update that officials had since been able to “get a correct count” — determining that three monkeys were still on the loose.
Additionally, subsequent clarification from Tulane University, which operates the National Primate Research Center in Louisiana, revealed that the monkeys actually did not belong to Tulane and had not been exposed to any infectious agents.
Researchers wearing masks, face shields, and other protective gear have reportedly continued to search through fields along the highway. It also still remains unclear who owns the monkeys, who was transporting them, or where they were headed when the truck crashed.
“The nonhuman primates were not being transported by Tulane, not owned by Tulane, and not in Tulane’s custody. The primates in question were not carrying any diseases and had received recent checkups confirming that they were pathogen-free. Although Tulane did not transport or own the nonhuman primates at the time of the incident, we sent a team of animal care experts to assist in this tragic incident. Questions regarding the missing nonhuman primates and other details of this case should be referred to the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office,” a Tulane University representative stated.
Local outlets and social media posts initially amplified the fabricated disease warnings, with some online users referring to the animals as “STD-infected lab monkeys.”
This verbiage likely stemmed from early briefings that mentioned herpes B, a virus found in some macaques, though experts stress that transmission to humans is extremely rare and requires close contact with bodily fluids.
Sheriff Randy Johnson further defended his deputies’ actions, reiterating that they acted based on the information they had at the time. However, he also acknowledged that the situation was “deeply unfortunate” and said his department would review its communication procedures with federal and state agencies involved in animal transport.
Animal welfare advocates have since condemned the killings, arguing that the incident reflects systemic problems with the transport and oversight of research animals.
Authorities are still determining who owned the monkeys and what their destination was. Federal officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) are reportedly assisting in the investigation, which will examine the chain of custody, licensing, and whether transport protocols were properly followed.
Meanwhile, residents near the crash site have been assured that there is no public health threat, and no injuries or infections have been reported among first responders or local residents.
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