United Press International

By ED LANFRANCO

Tuesday, January 20, 2004

BEIJING, Jan 19, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- The World Health Organization office in Beijing issued a statement Monday saying a definitive link between civet cats and severe acute respiratory syndrome had not been made.

While the number of SARS cases thus far has been smaller and less severe, WHO officials warn "much more research needs to be done."

An outbreak of SARS, a flu-like virus, killed thousands last year, mainly in China.

The WHO said findings shared at a Friday news briefing in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, had resulted in over-simplified reports in the media concerning the link between the corona virus and civets, the cat-like jungle mammal suspected of carrying the disease.

The WHO said its joint mission with Chinese officials did not yield a definite source of the SARS infection for any of three known cases thus far-- all located in the city of Guangzhou. Those infected have been a television producer, a waitress and a businessman.

Roy Wadia, press officer with the WHO office in Beijing, told United Press International Monday the only link was that a civet was involved in the waitress case, and even there the evidence was circumstantial.

"There is no indication on what caused the infection in the first case, the television producer, nor a clear answer in the third case, the businessman," Wadia said.

While the investigation continues, the WHO says there were several intriguing findings, including some pertaining to possible animal reservoirs of the SARS coronavirus.

WHO experts took samples from cages that originally housed civets at an animal market in Guangzhou as well as the restaurant where the waitress worked. A number of samples tested positive for traces of the SARS coronavirus.

Recent studies by scientists in Guangdong and Hong Kong point to the civet as a reservoir of the SARS coronavirus, but it is still unclear exactly how, or if, civets transmit the virus to human beings.

The WHO believes other animal species also may be possible reservoirs able to transmit the SARS coronavirus, but to date such species have not been conclusively identified.

"The conclusion of the latest joint mission does not mean that the investigation into the source of infection in these three cases is over," the WHO statement said. "Some media reports have suggested that, but we would like to reiterate that the investigation continues."

According to the WHO, there is no conclusive evidence to support the notion the three cases in Guangzhou represent a milder disease or a new strain of SARS.

The WHO statement noted while it is true these new patients display milder symptoms than some of the more-severe cases during the 2003 outbreak, it is crucial to remember these are only three cases, and do not represent the full spectrum of cases which were seen during 2003; there were relatively mild cases then as well.

"These three people are young, and last year that many younger patients recovered faster too," the WHO noted.

A team of international experts from WHO conducted a joint investigative mission in Guangdong Jan. 9-16 together with China's Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the Guangdong Centre for Disease Control and Prevention.