SARS: The Animal Origin?
University of Hong Kong research scientists believe the SARS virus might come from civet cats.
It appears the genetic sequence of the new coronavirus is similar to that found in civet cat feces. Civet cats are a popular delicacy in Southern China.
This is the wee beastie. It isn't a true cat, but a nocturnal carnivore also found in Africa, India and Malaysia. Civet is a yellowish, fatty substance with a musky scent, secreted from a gland near the genitals of the civet cat and used in making some types of perfumes.
Hong Kong researchers said if the meat of this animal was well cooked, the coronavirus would die. The virus jumped to humans during handling of the animal and subsequent food preparation. The first person in mainland China to contract SARS was believed to have been frequent contact with civet cats. Is this new virus the cats' way of developing protection against predators?
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