Fwd: HHS NEWS -- CIVET IMPORT BAN

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

 

I thought this might be of interest, given recent discussion of civet.

 

 

 

" Henneghan, Martha (HHS/OS) " <MARTHA.HENNEGHAN wrote:

Tue, 13 Jan 2004 11:49:40 -0500

" Henneghan, Martha (HHS/OS) "

HHS NEWS -- CIVET IMPORT BAN

HHSPRESS

 

January 13, 2004

For Release: Immediately

Contact: CDC Press Office, (404) 639-3286

 

HEADLINE: HHS BANS CIVET IMPORTS, ACTION INTENDED TO PREVENT SPREAD OF SARS

 

 

As part of the national plan to prevent the spread of Severe Acute

Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced

an immediate embargo on importation of civets to the United States. The

small animals have been identified as a possible link to SARS transmission

in China.

 

" Public health experts are concerned that civets may transmit SARS to

humans, who may then pass it on to other people, " Secretary Thompson said.

" This embargo will help us protect the American public and prevent

introduction of SARS in the United States. "

 

The embargo, which applies to dead and live civets as well as civet

products, will remain in place until further notice. Civet products that

have been processed to render them noninfectious, such as fully taxidermied

animals and finished trophies, are not included in the embargo. The ban does

not apply to those who received permission from the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention to import civet cats for educational or scientific

purposes.

 

Public health officials are concerned about the possibility that the

coronavirus that causes SARS was originally transmitted from animals to

humans, sparking the 2003 SARS outbreak in Asia. Growing indirect evidence

suggests exposure to certain wild animals may increase risk of infection.

However, there is no evidence that humans were infected with the SARS

coronavirus from direct contact with certain wild animals. Based on the

limited data available, the most appropriate action at this time is that the

movement of civets should be restricted and contact with them should be

minimized.

 

SARS was first reported in Asia in February 2003 and spread to more than two

dozen countries in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. In the

United States, there were a total of 192 probable and suspect cases of SARS.

Only eight were laboratory confirmed as SARS coronavirus and all of the

patients recovered.

 

SARS is a viral respiratory illness that causes high fever and a number of

other symptoms including headache, body aches and respiratory symptoms. SARS

is fatal in about 10 percent of cases.

 

More detailed information on SARS is available at

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars.

 

###

 

 

Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are

available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

 

 

 

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