Four monkeys remain at large after 43 escaped earlier this month from the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in South Carolina. The lab, which has received over $109 million in federal funding, helped develop several therapeutic drugs and vaccines, including those to treat COVID-19.

Four monkeys remain unaccounted for after 43 escaped earlier this month from a research laboratory in South Carolina. The breakout raised questions about a possible public health threat, lax security at research labs and the nature of the research being conducted in South Carolina and at similar facilities.

The primates — Rhesus macaque monkeys — escaped the Alpha Genesis Primate Research Center in Yemassee, South Carolina, on Nov. 6. According to ABC News, the facility has a history of safety and security breaches and “has come under intense scrutiny,” including calls for a congressional investigation.

The monkeys’ escape ignited concerns that the primates “might spread disease” in the local community.