The Granby Zoo is asking visitors who might have had physical contact with a Japanese macaque to call public health after a visitor was scratched by the animal earlier this week. Macaques can carry the Herpes B virus, which is extremely rare in humans but can lead to serious complications if it is not treated quickly. On Tuesday, a platform accessible to employees near the macaque enclosure was not closed properly, given visitors access it, explained Dr. Cédric Larouche, a veterinarian at Granby Zoo specializing in zoological medicine, at a news conference on Thursday. A woman who was visiting with her children who attempted to feed the macaque. “Then she went to retrieve her child. That’s when she was scratched. But obviously, the exhibit area should not have been accessible to those children or that family,” said Alex Chandonnet, head of animal care. Workers at the zoo aren’t sure if other visitors gained access to the platform, which was not properly secured for a few hours. Dr. Mélissa Généreux, medical adviser at the Public Health Directorate of Santé Québec Estrie – CHUS, said that if anyone came in contact with the Japanese macaque and was scratched, bitten, or were exposed to its saliva on an open wound or mucous membrane, they should contact Info-Santé by calling 811. Généreux said symptoms after infection can include skin lesions around the scratch or bite area, followed by flu-like symptoms. “And then if not treated, it could be more dangerous and even cause death. But as I said, this would be very very surprising,” Généreux said. When asked if the macaque is confirmed to have the Herpes B virus, zoo officials said they don’t know for certain as they don’t test for it, and that the virus can be asymptomatic. “Our macaques haven’t exhibited any abnormal behaviour. They’re curious animals who explore their habitat at the zoo,” but don’t usually go to the presentation area on their own," Chandonnet told reporters. “However, it’s certainly true that if a visitor approaches and offers the animal something interesting, the animal might be intrigued and want to go get that object or the food that was offered to it. But originally, this was not an animal that displayed aggression—far from it. It simply wanted to retrieve the food they were trying to offer it.” The zoo, along with the regional public health department and Santé Québec, says it is monitoring the situation and coordinating the necessary health measures. “Measures have already been put in place to support those who may have been exposed, as well as health-care professionals,” the zoo wrote on it Facebook page on Thursday.
