U.S. bans civet imports
The U.S. Health and Human Services Department issued a notice Jan. 13 banning imports of live and dead civets, a cat-sized animal with possible ties to the outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in China.
SARS, which is fatal in 10 percent of cases, is believed to have leapt from the civets to humans through consumption and handling of the animals. Civet meat is considered a delicacy in Asia and U.S. officials are concerned about the import of these animals as an exotic food.
Since the disease broke out in China in late 2002, more than 8,400 people in China and 29 other countries became ill with the flu-like disease and almost 1,000 died.