A rchive Date
[ 23-05-2003 ]
Category
[ International Relations ]
sub-Categoy
[ China ]
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[http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/World/2003/05/23/93670-ap.html
Hong Kong researchers say SARS virus came from civet cat eaten by Chinese
By HELEN LUK
Fri, May 23, 2003
HONG KONG (AP) - The fight against SARS in Hong Kong took two big steps forward Friday as the World Health Organization lifted a travel warning and local researchers announced the disease came from civet cats, a delicacy eaten by some Chinese.
University of Hong Kong researchers said that to prevent more outbreaks of SARS in people, the cats and other game food animals should be raised, slaughtered and sold under careful monitoring. The researchers had previously said SARS came from animals but they had not been sure which kind.
Hong Kong has been lobbying for removal of the WHO travel advisory, which has devastated local airlines, hotels and other businesses, and WHO officials said early Friday in Geneva they had lifted it.
Hong Kong recently has reduced its number of new SARS infections into the single digits, indicating the disease is largely under control here.
Health officials reported two SARS deaths in Hong Kong on Friday, pushing the toll to 260, and two new cases, bringing the total to 1,724. Hong Kong's new cases have now been in the single digits for 20 consecutive days.
The Hong Kong researchers said in a statement that they had successfully isolated a type of coronavirus that causes SARS and it came from an animal called the masked palm civet.
Microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung was to explain the discovery at a late afternoon news conference.
Earlier, Hong Kong tourism chiefs asked the government to give people here clear instructions about when it was safe to go around town without wearing surgical masks.
"We all know that we need to wear masks in high-risk areas, but do we need to wear masks going about daily routines? Is there still a risk?" said Selina Chow, a legislator who chairs the government-funded Hong Kong Tourism Board.
Health Department spokesman Tang Kwok-keung said Friday officials have already given specific guidelines. They say masks should be worn by people with respiratory infections, those in contact with SARS patients and those visiting hospitals or spending time in congested areas such as on public transportation.
Hundreds of thousands of Hong Kong people have been wearing masks around town, and even a WHO official said this week it wasn't helpful for Hong Kong's image. The WHO has said there is no need for healthy people to wear masks as they go about their daily affairs.
"We're not telling Hong Kong people to just throw off their masks and have a mask-burning day," WHO spokesman Peter Cordingley said from Manila. "It's just a visual thing: The city doesn't look safe when you've got people walking around wearing masks."
 World Fact Book (CIA)]
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