I sent the article to Bat Conservation International, got this reply:
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'T')hank you for forwarding us this information. It is unfortunate that
some people will mistake this to mean that people can get SARS from
bats, which of course they can't. In fact, as they say, the kind of
virus found in bats are probably separated by 100 years of evolution.
Even the civet cats and raccoon dogs they refer to aren't found to have
the virus in the wild, although they have found infected specimens in
crowded marketplaces, suggesting the source of the human SARS virus
today comes from a different source.
Barbara French, Conservation Officer, Bat Conservation International.
Did you know that every year Bat Conservation International responds to
more than 11,000 requests for information on bats? You can help support
Bat Conservation International's mission to conserve bats and their
habitats worldwide by becoming a member, or by sending a donation to
help defray the cost of providing these critical information services.
To join Bat Conservation International or make a donation that will help
us turn information requests into conservation successes, please go to:
www.batcon.org and become a member. Thank you from the bats.