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.

[prisoner6]

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.

Here kitty, kitty, kitty...

prisoner6

[twntaipan]

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

Sort of makes you wonder if the delicate Chinese palate might not be the source of lots of diseases that jump from animals to humans.

[Free Trapper]

The question now would be where did SARS come from to infect the civets?

All kinds of live and dead (frozen,dried,etc.) animals are shipped to Hong Kong,Taiwan,etc. from all over the world.

SARS could have come from anywhere if this story holds water.

[Momma Lou]

Several years ago I had two German Shepherd pups die of coronavirus.
Don't the Chinese eat dogs?

[ex-Texan]

This practice of 'eating' Abyssinian civet cats is just the tip of the iceberg. Now pardon me while I run to the rest room to barf . . .

Click Abyssinian Kitty Kitty

[Free Trapper]

A lot of animal carcasses that wouldn't normally be used in the U.S. or other places (furbearers,etc.) are sent to the Asian markets.

[The Pheonix]

The civet cat is a wild animal, and goes by its scientific name of "paguma larvata"

it does not look like a house cat at all

It looks like a sort of a spotted mongoose,

it is a fruit eater

[Free Trapper]

FYI,civet cats.

If SARS can be carried by many other critters I believe we're in deep trouble.

Thanks for keeping the info on SARS posted.Do you have a ping list you could put me on?

[mewzilla]

I've got a new name for SARS: Bastet's Revenge.

[The Pheonix]

the civet cat lives in the Tropics, ie countries like

Southern China, (not in the North), Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan,Burma

[stlnative]

[The Pheonix]

The civet cat is a highly elusive animal and hunts only at night

It is being trapped,usually early in the morning

it loves certain kinds of fruits

SOURSE: Any old Encyclopedia

[aristeides]

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

[Free Trapper]

I was thinking civets were in the same family as mink,weasles,skunks,etc.Glad I was wrong.

I looked it up and I'm happy to say the civet is in the viverridae family instead of the musteloid as our common skunks,mink,etc. are.

I hope none of our native animals can carry SARS.

[Free Trapper]

Would you put me on your SARS ping list,please?

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...

[aristeides]

Sars link to civet cats 'a significant breakthrough'.

[vetvetdoug]

This story just keeps getting better all the time.....

[aristeides]

I see you're right, that civets are not felines. Here is at least one viral disease that infects both, however: Feline Panleukopenia .

[texson66]

Here's a close up of an African civet cat: Civet Cat

How could anyone eat this little guy?

[aristeides]

From this link:

Viverrids such as the civet are susceptible to canine distemper, feline panleucopaenia, and rabies. These animals should be included in a vaccination schedule as above. Other diseases to which they may succumb are similar to those of canids and felids, and should be handled accordingly.

I wonder if they get FIP.