Research monkeys may soon be euthanized thanks to the suspension of infectious disease studies in America. The current administration directed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to suspend primate research. This includes infectious disease studies.
According to a report in Science, the CDC will phase out primate research experiments. More than 200 rhesus and pig-tailed macaques are at the CDC in Atlanta. The monkeys will either be transported to animal sanctuaries or euthanized in some cases. Scientists weighed in on terminating primate research.
"It's unprecedented," Sally Thompson-Iritani, the assistant vice provost overseeing the University of Washington's animal care program, told the journal.
"It's a huge loss for the HIV field," also added Deborah Fuller, Ph.D., director of the Washington National Primate Research Center and a HIV researcher.
Research Monkeys
Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services shared a statement on the suspension.
It read, "The CDC is committed to the highest standards of ethical and humane care and to minimizing the use of laboratory animals in accordance with the principles of animal welfare in scientific research known as 'replacement, reduction, and refinement."
The statement continues, "As a part of long-standing agency practice and in alignment with the administration's priorities, CDC regularly evaluates its research project portfolio, including non-human primate studies, and strives to use non-animal research methods whenever feasible, while ensuring the integrity of research that protects public health and safety."
"We have a responsibility to take care of these animals," Thompson-Iritani told Science. "That should be included in any road map."
The decision to suspend primate research has its critics. While animal advocates applaud ending the practice, some researchers believe that it will halt or damage research into diseases.
