Although it is suspected that the civet cat constitutes the cause of the deadly Sars outbreak several years ago, it is showing up again on menus at some restaurants in southern China.
According to the reports of the Associated Press the civet cat is a mongoose-like animal considered to be a delicacy in southern China.
The AP also reported that the China Daily state newspaper revealed that officials caught a few restaurants selling civet cat and other animals prohibited by health authorities after the Sars epidemic in late 2002.
In the course of a recent check of restaurants in Guangdong province, officials discovered one live civet cat, fourteen frozen civet cats, and eighteen frozen pieces of other exotic wildlife that were destined for the plates of regular customers.
"It seems that some people are determined to start eating civet cats again due to the fact that no new Sars cases have been reported within the past two years in Guangdong province. It’s a very hazardous sign," Huang Fei, deputy director of the Guangdong Health Department, told the China Daily.
The Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak started in Guangdong and then spread worldwide, striking over 8 000 people and killing over 800. The last revealed case in China was in 2004, according to the AP reported.
