Article
Civets are susceptible to infection by SARS coronavirus
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Published: | May 26, 2004 |
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Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) was first recognized in Guangdong and caused by a novel virus now known as SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV). Epidemiological data strongly suggest an animal origin for SARS-CoV although the reservoir host is yet to be identified. The discovery of SARS-CoV-like viruses in masked palm civets and the relationship of their genomic sequences with viruses isolated from humans raise the possibility that civets may play a key role in SARS-CoV transmission. Here we show that civets are susceptible to experimental infection with SARS-CoV and display clinical signs during the early stage of infection.