Civets are intermediate and transmission host of SARS-CoV

Epidemiological survey showed that early cases of SARS in 2002-2003 and all 4 cases in 2003-2004 had a history of animal contact through animal trade in wet markets or in restaurants where live animals  were kept in Guangdong province. Molecular detection and virus isolation studies suggested that the pandemic-causing SARS-CoV originated from traded civets in wet markets. This was indirectly confirmed by the massive culling of market civets, which was believed to play a major role in efficiently containing the SARS pandemics and no further SARS case was reported after 2004.