BBC 1/5/04 China is to kill thousands of civet cats

[Guest guest]

>BBC DAILY E-MAIL: UK EDITION

>Monday, 05 January, 2004, 09:00 GMT 01:00 US/Pacific

>

>

> * Beijing planning mass Sars cull *

>China is to kill thousands of civet cats - a

>possible source of Sars - as it confirms its

>first case in months.

>Full story:

>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3368003.stm

>

WHO confirms China Sars case

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that

an independent laboratory test has confirmed a

case of Sars in southern China's Guangdong

province.

 

Earlier, the Chinese health ministry issued its

own diagnosis of Sars in the case of a

32-year-old man in hospital in the city of

Guangzhou.

 

It is China's first confirmed case of the illness in six months.

 

Twenty five people who had contact with the

patient have been isolated, but none appears to

be infected.

 

The Chinese authorities have also announced that

they plan to slaughter thousands of civets -

small cat-like animals - amid the growing fears

surrounding the re-emergence of the deadly Sars

virus.

 

In Guangdong, where civet is a popular dish, wild animal markets will close.

 

Researchers in Hong Kong have linked the strain

the man is carrying and a similar virus found in

civets in China.

 

Sars killed 349 people on China's mainland last year.

 

" At least one of the tests has come back saying

this is indeed the SARS virus. The confirmation

has come back, " a WHO spokesman told the AFP news

agency.

 

Earlier Zhong Nanshan, director of the Guangzhou

Institute of Respiratory Diseases, told a Hong

Kong news conference that the 32-year-old

television producer, who was ill in Guangdong,

definitely had the Sars virus.

 

Mr Zhong's team said that the virus in this

latest case appeared to be slightly different to

that which originated in Guangdong in November

2002 and eventually fuelled a worldwide outbreak.

 

Animals

 

The researchers added that they had found a virus

very similar to this new strain in civet cats,

suggesting it had jumped from the animals to

humans.

 

Mr Zhong said the suspected Sars carrier had

claimed not to have eaten any wild animals before

he fell ill, but did admit to touching at least

one rat.

 

 

 

CIVET CAT

Part of mongoose family, distant relative of feline cat

Weasel-like face, cat-like body

Served in wild game restaurants

Estimated 10,000 in Guangdong markets

May have been the source of the virus which jumped to humans

 

 

Many researchers believe the strain of Sars which

killed hundreds of people last year could have

jumped species to humans from an animal like the

civet.

 

Guangdong Health Bureau official, Feng Liuxiang,

said up to 10,000 civets would be slaughtered.

 

" We will seek to seal and block all civet cats

from other provinces and take action to kill

civet cats in Guangdong province, " he told a news

conference.

 

But the WHO cautioned against a potentially

negative fall-out from a hasty slaughter.

 

Roy Wadia, the WHO's Beijing spokesman, said the

Chinese authorities should be careful not to

drive the civet trade underground, which could be

" counter-productive to containing the disease " .

 

He also warned against a messy cull which could

risk a renewed outbreak of the virus.

 

" What we are suggesting is that the slaughter be

very carefully done, " Mr Wadia said.

 

Philippines case

 

There are also fears of a resurgence of Sars in Hong Kong and the Philippines.

 

A Filipino maid, who has recently returned from

working in Hong Kong, and her family, are being

tested for possible cases.

 

The woman, who has a fever, is currently isolated

at a hospital along with her doctor, a health

department spokesman Dennis Magat said.

 

The authorities are trying to trace people she may have had contact with.

 

The Philippine government last year reported 14

Sars cases, which included two deaths from the

disease.

 

Sars killed 774 people worldwide, mostly in

China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.

 

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3368003.stm

 

Published: 2004/01/05 11:03:35 GMT

 

© BBC MMIV

 

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