Public health officials in Quebec are asking anyone who may have touched or handled a Japanese macaque at the Granby Zoo on August 4 to get in touch with Info-Santé for guidance. The notice does not indicate a confirmed exposure risk but emphasizes precautionary steps for individuals who had direct contact with the animal.
The health advisory follows the zoo’s incident involving the macaque, triggering a risk communication to the public. Info-Santé, the province’s health information line, is prepared to provide instructions on whether medical assessment or testing is recommended based on the level of contact.
Details available publicly note that the alert is specifically targeted at visitors who interacted directly with the macaque, rather than the general zoo-going audience. Officials have not disclosed the extent of the exposure or any resulting illnesses associated with the animal.
Granby Zoo has not released additional public health information in the advisory. Inquiries regarding potential herpes B virus exposure, a concern sometimes associated with macaques in captivity, are being directed to public health authorities via Info-Santé.
The incident adds to ongoing considerations around primate safety and human-animal interactions in zoological settings. Health authorities reiterate standard precautionary measures for visitors who may have encountered a macaque, including washing hands thoroughly and seeking medical advice if any symptoms develop or if there was close contact with the animal.
Granby is located in southern Quebec, near Montreal. The public health notification emphasizes that anyone who had direct contact on August 4 should contact Info-Santé for further instructions. No other details about the animal’s health status or the zoo’s management actions were disclosed in the advisory.
