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.

[CobaltBlue]

I have read research that SARS can be carried by cats and dogs but they don't shed it, which means you won't get it from them.

I suppose eating them would be a different matter.

[Free Trapper]

From what I know of the Asian wild animal market,I honestly don't believe a ban on civets would work.

If there's a strongly enforced ban on civets,I would bet many of the hunters or trappers in Asia would just skin the critters and sell them as something else or smoke,salt,maybe jerk the meat to change its appearance.

Even if the meat was fully cooked by the trapper,the person that skins the animal would be most likely to get the disease.

I don't know how they trap over there but I would guess snares are used much of the time (cheap and easy to carry a lot).To just release an animal caught in a snare would put a person in contact with saliva and probably blood being slung around.

Some people can't follow game laws here.In Asia?No way!

[Free Trapper]

Has anyone shown that contact with an infected cat or dogs blood wouldn't transfer the disease through an open wound on a person?

My animals and I seem to nearly always have a little cut or two one place or another.

I do hate being such a pessimist but this is looking bad to me.Hope I'm wrong about my thoughts.

[Dog Gone]

I'd have to agree that a ban wouldn't accomplish anything by itself. It would have to be accompanied by an education campaign.

The Chinese people are plenty afraid of SARS. If they were told that the civets cause it, I think it might have some impact.

[CobaltBlue]

I googled about a little bit and did not see anything about SARS and dogs. Also, the research on cats showed that the infection was transitory - their immune systems kill it.

I remember when AIDS first got going, people were afraid because they didn't know how to keep from getting it - I was afraid that mosquitoes would carry it but apparently they don't.

Come to find out that mosquitoes WILL carry West Nile. And ticks carry Lyme disease. And most mammals will carry rabies. And some spiders can carry Hanta virus.

But I am not aware of humans in the US getting an infection from an animal unless the animal bites them.

[Free Trapper]

I agree.

The "only" thing that would have a chance to work would be real fear of being near a reservoir animal.

How do you educate so many people in a country like China?Could it even be done?

[js1138]

Looks like the civit cat has extracted quite a revenge from the Chinese.

Considering that the main use for civet cats is purfume, I'd say they have a ways to go for full revenge.

[Free Trapper]

I hadn't heard that spiders could carry Hanta,thanks for the info.

Rabbit fever (tularemia) is one disease that can infect a person that handles uncooked meat.

Many years ago a friend of mine nearly died from it.He was so miserable his family made sure all the guns in the house were where he couldn't get to them.

Another thought.Do we have any idea if SARS can be spread by skeeters or fleas?

[Dog Gone]

It would certainly be a challenge, but remember that SARS started in a eastern province, probably the urban wet market in Guangdong. It certainly is possible to get the word out there.

It would be a lot harder in the remote provinces, but I doubt those are the places where live civets are encountered.

[Free Trapper]

I've been worried about the animal trade spreading disease for a long time.

This thread is where I've pretty much decided the sky has already fallen.

Is there room in your Mutthouse for me? Whiiine...:O(

[PoorMuttly]

There is ALWAYS room for you !

We'll just excavate a little closer to the Birdbath. Been meaning to for years, anyway.