I don't normally re-print letters I've sent to someone but this time I want to do so, because I want folks here to think about thanking any news services which use a balanced approach to the SARS study, while finding constructive ways to tell those news services which don't (no matter what the media type is) that until they begin to be known for balanced reporting that you will read other newspapers, listen to other radio stations, watch other tv news, etc. Anyway, I sent this to CNN in relation to their web story. ---- I want to thank you for often avoiding the declining spiral into which so many other news stations throw themselves. It is so common for them to be so interested in the sensationalism that they cry wolf once too often; then to combat losing viewers they shout even louder which only further undermines their credibiltiy. Yesterday (after you beat me to getting to read "Nature" :-) ) you reported on the imposed SARS infections in ferrets but you showed the good sense to also interview those who were able to point out the weaknesses of the studies done, the room for error in relation to transmission assumptions, etc. That was good and balanced reporting. Given that in the lab ferrets and cats have been infected (and cats also in a home setting in Hong Kong) -- and that dogs and other members of Carnivora remain to be tested -- and given that in the live food markets the animals with SARS were members of Order Carnivora in three Families: the canids, the viverrids, and the mustelids, it is certainly possible that vulnerability to SARS may extend to many members of Order Carnivora (perhaps also to others beyond humans in Order Primates) and if that is the case a more serious concern than the pet exposures over which we have some control is the possibilty of widely spread wild reservoirs *IF* there is another escape of the coronavirus. This also means that the pet species which are more likley to go outside (dogs, cats) could pose a greater general threat *IF* they can transmit SARS. Then again, it may turn out that it is not easily caught among members of Carnivora -- that the animals need to have it really shoved upon them or to be fed remains of infected animals. I have a question for you: knowing that no one has truly looked at transmission from cats and ferrets, has it yet been look at whether the coronavirus entered humans through casual contact with the Asian species involved, or was more possibly required for the jump such as a wound, or eating the infected animals? We know humans can tranmit the coronavirus readily, but do we know if any of the animals (including those market animals in Asia) can or if perhaps more is required? Thanks again for avoiding the downward spiral of sensationalism and for working to deliver balanced coverage! ---- Like private individuals who are more and more ignored or scrolled past because they repeatedly spread rumors and engage in extreme remarks and sensationalism, news stations which do so are pushing themselves down the drain... [Posted in FML issue 4317]