SARS Linked To 3 Small Animals

The World Health Organization has traced the SARS virus to the civet cat and two other small mammals in China, and researchers are investigating a possible link between the animals and the SARS outbreak in humans, an official said Friday.

Researchers from the University of Hong Kong examined 25 animals representing eight species in a live animal market in southern China and found the virus in all six masked palm civets they sampled, as well as in a badger and a raccoon dog.

Klaus Stohr, chief SARS virologist at the WHO, said Friday it was impossible to tell from the study whether any of the animals spread the virus to humans or whether they caught the virus from people.

CBS News Report

WASHINGTON � Citing a possible cluster of new SARS cases in Toronto, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned Americans Friday to take precautions against the disease should they travel to Canada's largest city.


The reinstatement of the Toronto travel alert stops short of advising Americans against traveling to the city.

www.foxnews.com...

Now they are trying to relate it to animals?!
I thought it was a airborn contracted respritory disease, not that I believe in sars any way. As it is never been truly proven to be anything more than spin from the propaganda machine.

"it was impossible to tell from the study whether any of the animals spread the virus to humans or whether they caught the virus from people."

so not much of a story, really, then.....

Well, we've had outer space and biowarfare - why not fluffy mammals?
Does anyone recall a drivel&spam monger way back asserting absolute knowledge based on unexplained contacts that this was due to birds? - Estragon pounced, of course. NB: names not named, claimed elliptically to be based in Kircaldy, Fife.

spam'n'cash'n'scam'n'drivel.... I'll set it to music one day.

Remember, the Ebola or E.coli virus came from dead gorillas in the congo area, and we're all mammals, genetically close enough, and if the virus can mutate just a little bit, it could be communicable to humans.

Maybe a hiker stumbled upon a dead civet kitty kat and got it, then spread it to the rest of the world. Well screw him/her

The reliability of this connection remains to be seen; but the gossip is that it was caught at one of the civet farms: when the Southern Chinese tire of eagle, macaque monkey, scaly anteater and peacock: there's nothing like some civet!
Having said that, extracts from the civet are to be found in Western Health supplements.

I was watching ''discovery' channel last night, and Yes,they did mention the 'sars virus'' could be a mutation from an animal....

In humans it mutates.....not using D.N.A......but R.N.A...

They said it would take 100 scientists to work on the virus for 4 yrs........to pin point the cure....

They also said that the 'sars' virus is similar to the influenza and probably kill more people in the yrs to come.The influenza spreads quite quickly, and the sars is no exception.....
Also that the world is waiting many more type viruses of this kind!




[Edited on 5/26/2003 by helen670]

That's pretty much how I see it at present: it's a new 'flu and iin many cases it killed those who perhaps would have died of the "old" 'flu, any way -though not always, of course.
I remain convinced that -had information flowed freely at first -this would have been just a flash in the pan: "traditional" influenza kills far more people in any case.
The fear of the unknown, deception and the Western media - fatal prescription for rational public health policy.

I guess the influenza is now so much part of our lives, that we cannot see it as a threat.....

But because 'sars' gets a new name, it freaks people out.....

The influenza does still kill people, but what makes the 'sars' different i guess , is that it does not seem to work with the antibiotics......maybe because antibiotics have been abused by everyone,including the many Doctors that prescribe it for a little cold.......Also, antibiotics are injected into cattle...........and people eat the meat.........so they're getting double the dose......

I fancy you'll find that 'flu doesn't work "with the antibiotics" check US or UK mortality figures.
When you gorra go.....

If you really want to know ...

I believe that the sars virus is a biological warfare chemical that scientists were playing around with in the asian pacific region. An idepentant source has said that it could have been the north koreans... the only lot of people at this stage have the fiance to fund such an experiment at that large of a scale.

Originally posted by Assassain
If you really want to know ...

I believe that the sars virus is a biological warfare chemical that scientists were playing around with in the asian pacific region. An idepentant source has said that it could have been the north koreans... the only lot of people at this stage have the fiance to fund such an experiment at that large of a scale.

Another sad case forgotten?
Or what?

helen

Hi/

Why do all new types of life threatening 'Flu like symptoms' seem to involve animals?

The virus that causes Venezuelan equine encephalitis is mosquito borne and usually causes a mild flulike illness but can also cause brain inflammation and death.
It has potential for use as a biological weapon but is far less lethal than some other agents the lab works with.

LINK

ICXN
helen