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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
Courthouse News Service Courthouse News Service

Burned Monkey Leg Leads to Mayo Clinic Citation

ROCHESTER, Minn. (CN) - The Mayo Clinic burned a monkey's legs during research and now faces a citation, a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection report shows.

The rhesus macaque was under anesthesia during an imaging procedure in January when two "overheated fluid bags for thermal support" were applied to his legs, according to the report from the agency's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

The Mayo Clinic released a statement, noting that it voluntarily reported the accident, which it emphasized was an "isolated incident," to the USDA during an August inspection.

USDA officials found that the bags caused thermal burns on the monkey's legs and led to "behavioral stress during healing."

"The rhesus macaque was observed during this inspection and has fully recovered from this incident," the report states.

USDA inspectors saw this during a routine inspection of the clinic's research facilities, the report states. Mayo noted that its clinic was cited for animal mishandling.

"As a result of the incident," the statement reads, "personnel underwent re-training and Mayo assigned a permanent veterinary technician to the research program involved."

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