HSV-1 jumps to lemurs, killing four in a new study

Four privately owned lemurs contracted human herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) after close contact with people (including a lemur involved in a 'lemur yoga' session) and died from encephalitis; this study marks the first molecular confirmation of HSV-1 in lemurs and highlights the risks of close human–primate interaction in captive settings, urging stricter biosecurity.