"Monkeys grabbed and fled with the blood samples of four COVID-19 patients who are undergoing treatment ... we had to take their blood samples again," said Dr SK Garg, a top official at the college. Authorities said they were not clear if the monkeys had spilled the blood samples, but people living near the leafy campus feared further spread of the virus if the monkeys carried the samples into residential areas. Garg said it was not clear if the monkeys could contract the coronavirus if they came into contact with infected blood. "No evidence has been found that monkeys can contract the infection," Garg told Reuters. Monkeys have been increasingly straying into human settlements in India and causing disturbances, even attacking people.

Source: bd News24 May 29, 2020 11:15 UTC