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Florida's herpes-infected monkey population grows -- and that's bad news for people

The rhesus macaque monkey population -- many of which carry a herpes virus -- could double by 2022
Credit: ED JONES
There are hundreds of rhesus macaque monkeys in Silver Springs State Park.

The monkeys in Silver Springs State Park are ... well, monkeying around, and that could pose a serious health risk to people.

A study by Texas A&M University-Kingsville ecologist and assistant professor of research Jane Anderson finds the rhesus macaque monkey population is growing rapidly and could double by 2022, National Geographic reports.

The problem is the primates carry the potentially deadly herpes B virus, which in rare instances can be spread from a monkey to a human.

Wildlife officials are considering options for controlling the macaque population.

Brought here in the 1930s as a tourist attraction, about 200 macaques still survive in the wild around Silver Springs.

For more, read the National Geographic report.

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