Strain of SARS Is Found in 3 Animal Species in Asia

The New York Times ^ | May 24, 2003 | KEITH BRADSHER with LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN

[twntaipan]

human feces in fertilizer

In many places in China, human feces is fertilizer.

And as for the claim that it will be impossible to change a culture--if that culture is the source of epidemics the rest of the world will cry loudly for change---but in the end, the continual flow of epidemics caused by the culture will simply kill the culture.

[Psalm118]

2 definitions for civet cat

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1993) :

Civet \Civ"et\, n. [F. civette (cf. It. zibetto) civet, civet cat, fr. LGr. ?, fr. Ar. zub?d, zab?d, civet.]


1. A substance, of the consistence of butter or honey, taken
from glands in the anal pouch of the civet ({Viverra
civetta). It is of clear yellowish or brownish color, of
a strong, musky odor, offensive when undiluted, but
agreeable when a small portion is mixed with another
substance. It is used as a perfume.

2. (Zo["o]l) The animal that produces civet ({Viverra
civetta); -- called also civet cat. It is carnivorous,
from two to three feet long, and of a brownish gray color,
with transverse black bands and spots on the body and
tail. It is a native of northern Africa and of Asia. The
name is also applied to other species.
From WordNet (r) 1.7


As for me, I'll take straight...(hmmm...never mind)...I never liked clear yellowish "anything" on _ANY_thing.

[Ed_in_NJ]

CAUTION: The source of this article has been known to fabricate and misrepresent information represented in their publication as factual. The reader should not rely on this item as being fair or accurate.

[Revelation 911]

epidemics caused by the culture will simply kill the culture.

ironic huh?

[twntaipan]

Heh, heh, heh...I actually scrolled back to the top to see if this was a Debka story

NY Slimes may be less accurate/factual than Debka is!

[Zipporah]

Masked palm civets

[sarcasm]

Civet cat, a Chinese delicacy, the cause of Sars?

< SNIP >

Civet is one of the main ingredients in the exotic wildlife dish "dragon-tiger-phoenix soup", for which wealthy Chinese in Guangdong province will pay large sums.

The soup is flavoured with chrysanthemum petals and includes shreds of civet cat and snake.

The current website of Guangzhou's tourist information centre invites visitors to sample this "special dish".

[secret garden]

Everyone was expecting the reservoir to be in ducks, the source of all the other flu outbreaks.

[randita]

I wonder if the civets are fed pork. There is speculation that if SARS is a man made virus, its testing would have been on laboratory pigs. The spread of the disease could have started when a lab worker took a seemingly healthy, but SARS infected, lab pig home for Sunday dinner.

[twntaipan]

bump

[riri]

LOL!!!

[aristeides]

This story may be being put out because the Chinese want to deflect attention from the true cause, e.g., if the disease escaped from a lab.

In any case, I take it the three kinds of animals in question are not that closely related. Masked palm civets belong to Viverridae. Ferret badgers belong to Mustelidae. I don't know what family raccoon dogs belong to. How could the disease be endemic to three different unrelated kinds of animals?

As the article admits, it's entirely possible these animals caught the virus from infected humans.

[Betty Jo]

My opinion is that Civet Cat = CYA

Remember the dead animals at Jahlalabad?

Outside the Bin Laden camp?

See up above that the poor little kitty lives in Pakistan?

Hmmmmmmm............

[Lessismore]

CAUTION: The source of this article has been known to fabricate and misrepresent information represented in their publication as factual. The reader should not rely on this item as being fair or accurate.

Especially the bit about "The scientists also found the virus in the only raccoon dog, a dog resembling a raccoon, that was obtained." which might lead you to think it is closely related to Fido.

Raccoon Dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides), member of the dog family (Canidae) native to eastern Asia and introduced into Europe. Some authorities place it in the raccoon family, Procyonidae. It resembles the raccoon in having dark facial markings that contrast with its yellowish brown coat, but it does not have a ringed tail. It has short, brown or blackish limbs, a heavy body, and rounded…

[Free Trapper]

Anyone that has SARS or a relapse of SARS should have their pets checked.

If dogs or cats can even have a transitorial case long enough to reinfect their owners they can be a danger or even pass it to wildlife here.

Many people have pet ferrets and if the mustelids;badgers,ferrets,mink,skunks,etc. become a reservoir here I see no way to keep SARS from being a future constant threat.

Maybe SARS is hitting too close to home for me on too many levels but it seems that all my worst fears are joining into a nightmare scenario.

[Myrddin]

My wife called last night from her dispatching duties at the local police department. She had just taken a call about a mother skunk with 10 babies in tow. We had an explosion in the skunk population last spring. Many smelly nights. The critters were marching all over the place. They dug into my yard and sprayed my 4 dogs. Our standard procedure is to trap them in a "havahart" trap and release them after curing their bad habits with a .40 S&W. Standard department issue. A .22 would do the job just fine.

[aristeides]

Did civet cats pass virus to humans? Or did humans pass it to them? It's all conjecture right now, says WHO; one possibility is that civet cats caught Sars from the rats and mice they fed on .

[Free Trapper]

All of the furbearers seem to have become overpopulated since the animal rights bunches caused fur to be non PC,causing prices to fall and trapping to slow.

Within the last 8? years I've run into a very apparently rabbid dog and my wife found a possum near home that was foaming at the mouth and walking in tight circles,both typical for rabbies.

Many animals I run into just aren't as healthy as the same types were several years back.

The PCBS ideas of catching critters and relocating them is a likely way to quickly spread disease from one area to another.

I have personal knowledge of at least one federal refuge where (for good reason) many furbearers are live trapped but destroyed and trashed rather than relocating them (this is not broadcast because the animal rights idiots would have a fit).

I hate to see any critter go to waste but I really believe it's better than chancing spreading disease into healthy populations.

[Free Trapper]

FWIW.I carry one of the North American Arms 22 revolvers when live trapping because they're so small and light.At these times its most likely for me to need to shoot something that's got ahold of me and doesn't want to let go.

It's real close shooting so the short barrel is no problem and the 22LR mouse gun will even put down a butcher steer when you're right on top of him.Of course any 22 would be fine but you'll carry the NAA all day and never notice any weight.

With all the diseases overpopulated critters or those that hang out around people can have,I want a cartridge that can't blow too much blood,saliva,etc. all over.Just one little scratch on you from the livetrap wire could easily become infected.

If in a populated area with possibly needing to kill something that's loose,I could see good reason for a LEO or anyone else to keep a 22 rifle handy.

I know of one LEO that used a .357 to try to kill a stray kitten that he couldn't get out from under a car (in town).He missed the kitten and was about lynched by the people for his dumb stunt.No telling where the bullet went after it ricocheted off the road at such a low angle.Some folk just don't have any common sense.:o(