Therefore, it is important always to wear a face mask and a lab coat over your street clothes when working in the animal room. You should wear eye protection if you are cleaning cages or doing any activity which may generate splashes. If you are handling an animal you should also wear latex gloves. Wash your hands after working with the animals. Never eat or drink when in the monkey rooms and do not store your lunch in the animal room refrigerator.
Primates are wild animals and can inflict painful bites.
Male vervets, in particular, have razor-sharp teeth which can cause serious injury requiring sutures. You should never work in a vervet room alone, and you should always were heavy leather gloves when manually restraining the animals. Non-human primates are extremely susceptible to tuberculosis. Once infected, an infected laboratory primate must be destroyed to avoid endangering the research staff and other animals. The veterinary staff tests the animals four times a year to be sure they are free of the disease.