The civet cat, linked by Chinese scientists to the deadly SARS virus is back on the menu in southern China, a state press report said.
Several restaurants have been caught selling civet cat and other wild animals banned by health authorities after the breakout of the infectious flu-like Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in late 2002, the China Daily reported.
“It seems that some people are determined to start eating civet cats again since no new SARS cases have been reported over the past two years in Guangdong Province. It's a very dangerous sign,” the newspaper quoted Huang Fei, deputy director of the Guangdong Health Department, as saying.
The newspaper said a recent sweep of Guangdong eateries by health authorities uncovered one live civet cat, 14 frozen ones and 18 frozen pieces of other exotic wildlife.
Officials issued fines of 30,000 yuan (NT$120,000) and temporarily closed some restaurants, the paper said.
The civet cat, a nocturnal mammal similar to a mongoose, is regarded as a delicacy in southern China, but provincial health officials banned them from menus in January 2004 as part of measures to contain highly contagious SARS.
Chinese scientists have said they have proof SARS originates from civet cats, although the World Health Organization has cautioned against drawing definitive links.
After its emergence in Guangdong, SARS quickly spread globally to infect more than 8,000 people and kill more than 800, including 349 in China.
It was eventually brought under control through international efforts such as quarantining victims, health checks on travellers and distributions of face masks. The last reported case in China was in 2004.(AFP)
一份國營媒體指出，被中國科學家認為和致命SARS病毒相關的果子狸，重現在中國南方餐館的菜單上。
「中國日報」指出，有幾間餐廳被抓到
販售果子狸，以及其他在二○○二年末爆發類似感冒的SARS傳染病後，被衛生單位查禁的野生動物。
「中國日報」引述廣東省衛生廳副廳長
黃飛的發言表示︰「一些民眾似乎因為這兩年廣東省沒有獲報新的SARS案例，就認為可以開始吃果子狸，這是非常危險的徵兆。」
「中國日報」表示，最近由衛生單位對廣東省餐飲店所展開的清查中，查獲果子狸活體一隻、冷藏果子狸十四隻和其他冷凍外來野生動物十八隻。
報導指出，衛生當局對部分餐館開出三
萬人民幣（新台幣十二萬元）罰鍰和暫時歇業的處分。
果子狸這種類似貓鼬的夜行性哺乳動
物在中國南方被認為是山珍海味，但各省衛生單位於二○○四年一月禁止各餐廳販售，作為防堵高度傳染病SARS的措施之一。
中國科學家表示證實SARS起源於果子狸
，然而世界衛生組織警告，這兩者不一定有絕對關係。
自SARS疫情在廣東省傳開後，迅速擴散至全球各地，超過八千人被感染，奪走八百多條人命，包括三百四十九名中國人。
SARS疫情最後透過各國合作，例如，隔
離病患、對遊客進行健康檢查和發口罩，終於控制下來，中國最後一起通報病例出現在二○○四年。
（法新社╱翻譯︰鄭湘儀）
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