Antibodies to SARS coronavirus in civets.
Using three different assays, we examined 103 serum samples collected from different civet farms and a market in China in June 2003 and January 2004. While civets on farms were largely free from SARS-CoV infection, approximately 80% of the animals from one animal market in Guangzhou contained significant levels of antibody to SARS-CoV, which suggests no widespread infection among civets resident on farms, and the infection of civets in the market might be associated with trading activities under the conditions of overcrowding and mixing of various animal species.
Tu
Changchun
C
Changchun University of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Changchun, China.
Crameri
Gary
G
Kong
Xiangang
X
Chen
Jinding
J
Sun
Yanwei
Y
Yu
Meng
M
Xiang
Hua
H
Xia
Xianzhu
X
Liu
Shengwang
S
Ren
Tao
T
Yu
Yedong
Y
Eaton
Bryan T
BT
Xuan
Hua
H
Wang
Lin-Fa
LF
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D007422:Intestines / Q000821:virology; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D045949:Viverridae / Q000821:virology*
D000914:Antibodies, Viral