HK reports two SARS cases, two deaths; coronavirus traced to civet cats

channelasia news ^ | 05/23/03 | NA

[prisoner6]

HK reports two SARS cases, two deaths; coronavirus traced to civet cats 

Hong Kong said Friday another two people have been infected with SARS and two more deaths have been recorded, marking the 20th day in a row that the territory's daily infection figures were in single digits.

This brought the total number of deaths to 260 from 1,724 infections.
The latest fatalities from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) were two women, aged 57 and 89.

Health officials said the 89-year-old woman had chronic illnesses, while the 57-year-old woman was a resident at the residential Amoy Gardens, one of the hotspots of the SARS outbreak.

One of the latest SARS patients was a doctor, ending a four day run during which no medical workers had been infected.

Another eight people were discharged from hospital, bringing to 1,255 the number of patients who have recovered from SARS.

A total of 146 patients were still in hospital, including 40 in intensive care.

Most of those still in hospital were responding positively to treatment, officials said.

Meanwhile researchers at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) say they have traced the coronavirus which causes SARS to civet cats.

A Hong Kong government statement said researchers from HKU and health officials in southern China "had successfully isolated the coronavirus causing SARS from civet cats."

"The finding has extremely important implications for the control of this infection," said the statement.

The statement said that to prevent further jumping of the virus to human from the cats, it was vital that any animals bred for human consumption should be kept in farms with proper immunisation against the SARS coronavirus.

The civet cat ranked as the second most popular "exotic" animal eaten by Hong Kong Chinese in a 1996 survey conducted by animal rights group Traffic East Asia.

Civet cats are from the same family as the mongoose.

[Free Trapper]

If cats can carry SARS,you're likely to be sick of people asking you to put down their pets.

What do you think we will do in the U.S. if we find that cats are carriers?

Would we try to kill off a lot of cats like some places have killed off chickens because of avian flu?

[blam]

"This would seem to be consistent with the earlier story that cats can be infected by SARS but do not have symptoms. "

Just great! Sheez...

[aristeides]

Here's a link to the earlier story about cats and SARS: Cats can get Sars.

[texson66]

Civet cats are in the mongoose family, and are not related to domestic cats.

[Free Trapper]

I hope the article is correct in the belief cats can't spread SARS even if they can catch it but this is very spooky.

Cats would at least be a reservoir wouldn't they?

[Nebullis]

The civet cat is known in the US as the ringtail. They range in the Southwest of the US.

[Betty Jo]

Have you seen this?

"China Discovers Three Anti-SARS Polypeptides"

http://www.english.peopledaily.com.cn/200305/23/eng20030523_117097.shtml

But,I cant get the link to work.

[Betty Jo]

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/

scroll down the list for this article

[Betty Jo]

see above url

[Free Trapper]

I think the ringtail is in the procyon genus like the racoon.

Even though some folks here call ringtails,civet cats,they are not the same family as the Asian civet.

[boris]

Oops. No more Luwak coffee...

[Nebullis]

The nincompoops at the People's Daily have a picture of an asian leopard cat with their story.

[Nebullis]

I think the ringtail is in the procyon genus like the racoon. Even though some folks here call ringtails,civet cats,they are not the same family as the Asian civet.

You're right. The Civet Cat is the ringtail (Bassariscus from the family Procyonidae) and it's a different animal from the Masked Palm Civet ( from the family Viverridae), the animal identified as carrying the SARS coronona virus. Thanks!

[Dog Gone]

If the SARS virus's natural host is the civet cat, very likely it can live in the civet without doing any harm to it.

This could be a very important development. If confirmed, it tells us where the natural reservoir of the virus is, and that if we eliminate the disease in humans, the virus still exists in nature.

I think it goes without saying that the use of civet cats as human food should be immediately banned.

[Nebullis]

Here's a picture of the culprit, the masked palm civet

[manic4organic]

OK, does anyone scratch their heads about the ancient "civilization" of China? Tiger penises, now civet cats? For Pete's sake, somebody build those folks a good Texas barbecue shack!

[Prince Charles]

A Hong Kong government statement said researchers from HKU and health officials in southern China "had successfully isolated the coronavirus causing SARS from civet cats."

Weird factoid for today: The secretions of the anal glands from civet cats are used to make perfume.

[EternalHope]

I think it goes without saying that the use of civet cats as human food should be immediately banned.

And all closely related animals as well.

The earlier article about house cats being able to briefly carry SARS, but not transmit the disease, may not be correct if the cat is eaten. I have heard the Chinese eat dogs. Do they also eat house cats?

[Dog Gone]

According to my co-workers who have spent time in China, there is nothing that the Chinese don't eat.

[DPB101]

From what I've read,it looks like the civet is pretty closely related to felines but still not in the same family.

If cats can spread SARS...

The potential for blackmail is huge.

The felonious felines will be demanding fresh poached salmon in mouse sauce with catnip garnish, Barcalounger scratching posts and Olympic size kitty boxes.