USA: Escaped Lab Monkeys Contagious (continued story)
Danville, PA (
https://bit.ly/3tYDEEW) Michelle Fallon is living
a nightmare. And, shes ready to put that nightmare on record.
The Danville woman is now experiencing symptoms, believed to
be related to her close encounter with wild monkeys, when the
trailer they were riding in collided with a dump truck and unloaded
their cages all over Route 54, close to I-80, on Friday afternoon.
(The monkeys were destined for an unidentified Centers for Disease
Control lab, in the Midwest.)
The following day, Fallon developed a cough and something that
resembled pink-eye. And, by Sunday, she was visiting the Geisinger
Medical Center emergency room, where infectious disease doctors
were consulted. Fallon has since received her first (of 4)
preventative rabies shots; as well as a prescription for a 14-day
course of Valacyclovir.
The stay-at-home mom, who shared that she was fully vaccinated and
received her booster, was also tested for Covid, but the results at
the ER were negative.
Fallon is still processing the sequence of events that unfolded
on Friday. She pulled over to check on the condition of the accident
victims, but she said they were more concerned about press coverage
of the incident.
The driver of the truck hauling the monkeys, identified in a press
release from PA State Police, as Cody M. Brooks, 31, of Keystone
Heights, FL even went so far as to put his hand in the camera of
a local Press-Enterprise reporter. He was very, very upset, said
Fallon. He was in a panic. Brooks passenger, Daniel G. Adkins, 59,
of Florahome, FL required transport to Geisinger Medical Center
for an injury. (
https://bit.ly/3rNQYt1)
Many questions remain unanswered for Fallon, like what are these
monkeys possibly infected with? Why wasnt the vehicle marked
indicating it was carrying potentially bio-hazardous contents? Why
were the three monkeys that fled instantly euthanized and not
captured? What did the CDC tell her doctor to test for?
Nothing forewarned Fallon that she was putting her health at risk.
It was only after her risky encounter, when a CDC representative
who appeared on the scene, advised her to watch for symptoms
and to alert her primary care doctor. She also said the CDC and
Pennsylvania Department of Health would be in touch
(see letters). (
https://bit.ly/3tZizdu)
This has been a nightmare, she said. I had no idea doing a good
deed like this could get me a rabies shot and put me in this
situation.
Fallon was simply showing compassion; she told the trailer driver
that hes in Danville, we take care of people. Now, shes the one
needing care.
Fallon said there were other motorists who stopped at the scene.
Fallon could not identify those people but suspected some might also
have been put at risk. The email from PA DOH indicated that efforts
would be made to track them down with the assistance of police.
Those who believe they may have had contact with the monkeys are
asked, per the CDC letter, to seek medical attention and contact
PA DOH at (717) 787-3350.
The three monkeys who fled from the scene were euthanized. People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has since issued a
statement on this incident, indicating that the organization has filed
a complaint with the US Department of Agricultures Director of
Animal Welfare Operations, asking him to investigate the treatment
of these monkeys. They report that the USDA has now confirmed that
its investigating.
