Dengue Fever¹

Dengue fever is a mosquito borne² infection. The disease is characterized by high fever, headache, bone or joint and muscle pains, and rash. Dengue haemorrhagic³ fever is a potentially deadly complication⁴ that is characterized by high fever, haemorrhagic phenomena, often with enlargement of the liver, and in severe cases, circulatory⁵ failure.

The first reported epidemics of dengue fever occurred in 1779～1780. Dengue haemorrhagic fever was first recognized in the 1950s during the dengue epidemics in the Philippines and Thailand.

The global prevalence⁶ of dengue has grown dramatically in recent decades. The disease is now endemic⁷ in more than 100 countries in Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific are most seriously affected.

Some 2500 million people two fifths of the world's population are now at risk from dengue. WHO currently estimates there may be 50 million cases of dengue infection worldwide every year.

There is no specific treatment for dengue fever. However, careful clinical management by experienced physicians⁸ and nurses frequently saves the lives of DHF patients. With appropriate intensive supportive therapy, mortality⁹ may be reduced to less than 1％.

No dengue vaccine is currently available. Prospects for reversing the recent trend of increased epidemic activity and geographic expansion of dengue are not promising. In recent years public health authorities have emphasized disease prevention by mosquito control through community efforts to reduce larval¹⁰ breeding sources. Although this approach will probably be effective in the long run, it is unlikely to impact disease transmission in the near future.

注释：

1.dengue [5deN^ei] n. [医]登革热（亦作dengue fever）

2.mosquito borne [mEs5ki:tEu5bC:n] adj. 由蚊子传播的

3.haemorrhagic [7hemE5rAdVik] adj. 大出血的

4.complication [7kCmpli5keiF(E)n] n. [医]并发症，并发病

5.circulatory [5skjElEtC:ri] adj. （血液等）循环的

6.prevalence [5prevElEns] n. （疾病等的）流行程度

7.endemic [en5demik] adj. （疾病等）地方性的；某地（或某些人中）流行的

8.physician [fi5ziFEn] n. （有行医执照的）医生；内科医师

9.mortality [mC:5tAliti] n. 死亡率；死亡数

10.larval [5lB:vEl] adj. [动]幼虫的；幼体的

登革热

　　登革热是一种由蚊子传播的传染病，其临床特征为高烧、头痛、骨头或关节痛、肌肉痛以及皮疹。登革出血热是一种可能危及生命的并发症，临床表现为高烧、出血，常伴有肝肿大，一些严重的病例还并发循环系统衰竭。

　　第一次被报道的登革热流行发生在1779～1780年。登革出血热在20世纪50年代菲律宾和泰国爆发登革热时第一次得到确认。

　　近几十年登革热在全球范围内引人注目地流行起来，如今已经成为非洲、美洲、地中海东部、东南亚和西太平洋地区100多个国家的地方流行病。东南亚和西太平洋地区受到的影响最为严重。

　　大约有25亿人——全世界人口的2/5——正受到登革热的威胁。世界卫生组织目前估计，全球每年可能有5000万登革热感染病例发生。

　　目前对登革热没有特效治疗方法。但是，在有经验的医生和护士的精心护理下，登革出血热病人往往能够脱离生命危险。恰当地采用大剂量高疗效药物进行辅助治疗，可以将死亡率降低到1％以下。

　　登革热疫苗还没有被开发出来。要扭转当前登革热不断上升的流行和地区性扩散趋势，前景并不乐观。近几年，公共卫生当局重点通过集体灭蚊、减少幼虫繁育场所来预防疾病。这种方法虽然从长远来看大概会是有效的，但对近期内疾病的传播可能影响不大。