Ill. boy bitten by monkey to seek rabies treatment

GODFREY, Ill. (AP) - A southwestern Illinois prosecutor says a boy bitten by a pet monkey during a dog event will undergo precautionary rabies vaccinations rather than having the primate euthanized to see if it's infected with the disease.

Madison County State's Attorney Tom Gibbons tells The (Alton) Telegraph that the decision involving the 6-year-old boy came after the prosecutor's office consulted with the child's parents.

The monkey named Nina has been in quarantine since it bit the boy June 2 when the child tried to pet the java macaque during a yearly "Bark in the Park" event in Godfrey, a village northeast of St. Louis.

No charges have been filed, and Gibbons' office is trying to determine who legally owns the monkey.

Information from: The Telegraph, http://www.thetelegraph.com