SARS here again?

Even though the new SARS case in Guangdong, China has been confirmed, researchers are still puzzled by the source. news reports have either pointed the finger at the civet cat or the rat. The infected TV producer has told his doctors that he had not come into contact with civets but rats trapped in his apartment has been tested positive for SARS. but this does not mean a conclusive link between SARS and rats. reports on DNA work suggested that we might been looking at a new mutated strain of SARS.

but Chinese authorities has announced a mass culling of civets cats. this sad episode mirrors the culling of stray domestic cats in Singapore during the SARS crisis! instead of going after cats, whose link to SARS is tenuous at best, our town councils and authorities should be looking at our rat problem, which I think presents are more serious health problem than stray cats. anyone who's been to Holland Village would have seen rats the size of cats, frolicking in the open, even in broad daylight!