Scientists from
China
Agricultural University said Thursday there has been no
evidence to indicate the civet cats are sources of severe acute
respiratory syndrome (SARS) virus.
The university's president Chen Zhangliang said researchers of the
university collected 732 specimens of 65 kinds of animals from
across China for the research, including civet cats, monkeys, bats
and pigs.
Using the internationally-accepted gene detection method, called
RT-PCR technology, they did not find SARS virus on any of the 732
specimens, said Chen.
However, they found three new coronaviruses on civet cats, hares
and some other wild animals, which proved coronaviruses do exist on
wild animals and they are capable of mutation, said Chen.
In
May, scientists in south China's Guangdong Province said they have
traced the origin of SARS virus to civet cats.
(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2003)