RESIDENTS & ANIMAL LOVERS of TENNESSEE !!

Date of Hearing:  06/23/2023, 9:00am CST

Current Code:  Tenn. Code Ann. § 70-4-403

Notice of Rulemaking Hearing

Help Caretakers of Primates stop the ban on macaques in Tennessee.  This is just where they begin, and these bans continue on to other pets.

To the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission:

We implore you to stop the proposed changes to the classifications of wildlife as presented in the Notice of Rulemaking Hearing dated 05-03-23 with regards to the addition of macaques.  

The plan put forth to add macaques to the banned list is based on misconception and fear, not on fact.  If we were to base our daily decisions on the same premises, no one would ever be allowed to leave their homes. We would like to share a few facts with you:

Class I animals, as currently defined in TC 70-4-403 are “all species inherently dangerous to humans.” 

As we all know, any animal may be dangerous to humans, even the most cuddly animal you can think of.  Keep in mind that, by far, the most dangerous of all are human (primates).  

With regards to macaques, most people seem to be concerned with contracting Herpes-B or Monkey-B virus.  This virus was first discovered in 1932.  B virus (Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1, herpesviridae), an alpha herpes virus endemic in macaque monkeys, has the unique distinction of being the only one of nearly 35 identified non-human primate herpesviruses that is highly pathogenic in humans.1  It is estimated that upwards of 72% of macaques are infected with the Herpes-B virus Untreated B virus infections in humans result in an extremely high mortality rate (∼80%).

So, some facts to put the Herpes-B virus and macaques into perspective:

·         According to the CDC, B virus infections in people are rare.  There have only been 50 people with documented infections in 90 years; 21 of those died.  Again, there have only been 50 reported cases of Herpes-B transmission in the United States since 1932.  Most of these have occurred in the laboratory setting.  (A good Samaritan is more likely to be infected helping an injured person than an individual be infected with Herpes-B from a macaque.)

·         In 28 zoonotic cases occurring during the 1980s and 1990s out of a total of 46 documented cases confirmed since 1933, 80% have survived infection with the advent of antiviral therapies in contrast to 80% mortality reported in untreated patients. 1

·         Timely antiviral intervention is an effective means of reducing B virus-associated morbidity and preventing a fatal outcome.1

·         Only 50 infections in light of over 35,000 monkeys imported in 2022 for lab research and over 75,000 primates (estimated 2/3rds are macaques) used for research in 2017.2

Another usual concern is the potential for bites:

·         According to one study, there were 275 monkey (not just macaque) bites from 1990-2013.  That’s in perspective to over 4 million dog bites per year.3

·         According to WHO, 99% of rabies infections are due to dogs, worldwide.  Due to the drive to vaccinate dogs, they are now the second greatest risk for rabies in the US following hematophagous bats.

·         According to a new study released in the latest issue of Wilderness & Environmental Medicine indicates that animal encounters remain a considerable cause of human harm and death.  The animals most commonly responsible for human fatalities are farm animals, insects (hornets, wasps, and bees), and dogs.4  

·         Listed in the PETA database, there are 12 “incidents” involving monkeys in Tennessee.  Of those 12, 5 involved a bite or scratch (one of which was a chimp, not a monkey).  No long term effects from the bites or scratches were noted.

·         2012 U.S. Pet Ownership & Demographics Sourcebook by the American Veterinary Medical Association. The survey also reports that approximately 70 million dogs and 74 million cats lived in households in the United States during the same year. (1) Human and animal bites are a frequent cause of primary care and emergency department visits for children. It is estimated that 250,000 human bites, 400,000 cat bites, and 4.5 million dog bites occur in the United States each year in both adults and children. (2) In the United States, approximately 10% of all human bites will become infected in a child with a bite wound. The infection rate of dog bites in children is 20%. Cat bite infection rates in children vary but can be up to 50%. Each type of bite wound has a predisposition for sex and/or age. 

We urge you to keep these facts in mind when deciding whether or not to add macaques to the ban list, and we implore you to not add them to the list.  The rights of primate owners should not be restricted due to fear, ‘what ifs’, or individuals who choose to not follow appropriate safety protocols.  

1. Monkey B virus - Human Herpesviruses - NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)

2. COVID-19 Vaccine Research Is Facing a Monkey Shortage - The Atlantic

3.       Injuries and deaths caused by non-human primate attacks: Paediatric vulnerability - Chittaranjan Behera, Mohit Chauhan, Asit Sikary, Tabin Millo, Roger W Byard, 2021 (sagepub.com)

4.       Number of people killed by animals each year in the US remains unchanged -- ScienceDaily