What action has CDC taken?
On January 13, 2004, CDC issued an order for an immediate ban on the import of all civets. CDC took this step because civets potentially can infect humans with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). What animals are subject to the order? Civets, also known as civet cats, are banned from import to the U.S. The order forbids any person from importing or seeking to import any civet from anywhere in the world. The order applies to civets that are living or dead and any products made from civets. Why does the order apply to civets, but not other animals? A SARS-like coronavirus has been isolated from many palm civets (Paguma larvata). The virus taken from civets closely matched virus samples taken from humans. Small numbers of other animals have shown proof of infection with SARS-like coronaviruses, but so far the best existing data suggests that civets are likely carriers of SARS. In 2001-2002, 98 civets were imported into the United States (44% from Asia). Most, if not all, were import
