SARS conspiracy theory
The SARS conspiracy theory began to emerge during the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in China in the spring of 2003, when Sergei Kolesnikov,[1] a Russian scientist and a member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, first publicized his claim that the SARS coronavirus is a synthesis of measles and mumps. According to Kolesnikov, this combination cannot be formed in the natural world and thus the SARS virus must have been produced under laboratory conditions. Another Russian scientist, Nikolai Filatov, head of Moscow's epidemiological services, had earlier commented that the SARS virus was probably man-made.[2][3]
Circumstantial evidence suggests that the SARS virus crossed over to humans from Asian palm civets ("civet cats"), a type of animal that is often killed and eaten in Guangdong, where SARS was first discovered.[4][5]
Tong Zeng, an activist with no medical background, authored the book The Last Defense Line: Concerns About the Loss of Chinese Genes, published in 2003.[6] In the book, Zeng suggested researchers from the United States may have created SARS as an anti-Chinese bioweapon after taking blood samples in China for a longevity study in the 1990s.[6] The book's hypothesis was a front-page report in the Guangzhou newspaper Southern Metropolis Daily.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "SARS virus was created in weapons lab: Russian scientist". Rediff. Archived from the original on 6 October 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
- ^ "SARS could be biological weapon: experts". ABC News. April 12, 2003. Archived from the original on 2011-05-30. Retrieved 2007-08-23.
- ^ "Sars biological weapon?". www.news24.com. 11 April 2003. Archived from the original on 6 July 2007. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
- ^ "WHO: More evidence of civet cat-SARs link". CNN. January 17, 2004. Archived from the original on December 1, 2004. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
- ^ "China scientists say SARS-civet cat link proved". Reuters. 23 November 2006. Archived from the original on 2008-04-06. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
- ^ a b c Sheridan Prasso (16 February 2004). "Old Habits". The New Republic. Archived from the original on 2017-07-07. Retrieved 2007-08-16. (also see "The New Republic". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2008-09-12.)
External links
[edit]- ParaPundit: Conspiracy theories in China
- San Francisco Chronicle's report
- SARS Crisis: Don't Rule Out Linkages To China's Biowarfare Article by Richard D. Fisher Jr. for The Jamestown Foundation.
- People's Daily's report on Tong Zeng's book (simplified Chinese)
- Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao reports the conspiracy theory and Hou's assertion