| ||
| ||
| ||
 |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic cats 'can harbor SARS'
LONDON, England (Reuters) -- In a chilling reminder that SARS could re-emerge, scientists say domestic cats and ferrets can easily be infected with the virus and could transmit it to other animals or humans. Civet cats sold in wild animal markets in Guangdong, China, where SARS first surfaced about a year ago, are thought to be the source of the virus that infected over 8,000 people in 30 countries and killed more than 750. But Professor Albert Osterhaus, a leading virologist at the Erasmus Medical Centee in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, showed that domestic pets and other animals can also harbor SARS. "The virus is apparently so promiscuous -- can infect so many different species -- that it is not unlikely to suppose that it is still out there, in different species, rather than in just one reservoir," Osterhaus told Reuters Wednesday. The findings, which are reported in the science journal Nature, suggest the virus could be lurking in many species which raises the specter that it could infect humans again. "If domestic cats could be infected it could actually mean there is a possibility that it will be transferred from cats to humans, although that would be a rare event," he added. Osterhaus and his colleagues infected domestic cats and ferrets with a virus isolated from a patient who had died of the respiratory disorder. The animals developed symptoms of the illness and transmitted the virus to other animals that were housed with them. The diseased animals had changes in their lungs which were similar to those seen in macaques that had also been infected with SARS. Antibody test"We have to realize that it could come from different animal species," he said. On a more positive note, Osterhaus said animals could be used to test potential SARS vaccines and medicines. But he added that the findings are further proof of the urgent need for an effective antibody test for the virus, particularly if game animals will not be banned from Chinese markets. "If, in China, it is not possible to stop the sales of these animals for consumption, then at least a screening system should be implemented as soon as possible so we can screen the animals before they are introduced in the marketplaces," he said. The World Health Organization (WHO) has made a screening test a high priority and laboratories around the globe are collaborating to develop one, according to Osterhaus. "As soon as possible there should be an assay (test) with which we can screen different animal species for the presence of antibodies against the virus so we know if they come from infected groups of animals," he added. Copyright 2003 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
