PBS高端访谈:为什么埃博拉病毒的药物测试如此有难度?

 　　JUDY WOODRUFF: Now the last in our series on Ebola in West Africa — tonight, a look at new research to help stop or slow the next outbreak. The best hope may ultimately come from a new vaccine¹.

　　Science correspondent Miles O'Brien reports, part of his series on Cracking Ebola's Code.

　　MILES O'BRIEN: It's dark and early in Freetown, Sierra Leone. A team of pharmacists is in a nondescript government building preparing the day's supply of an experimental vaccine against Ebola.

　　The clock starts running when they take the vaccine out of a very deep freeze. This is likely the coldest spot in the whole country. The vaccine can only be thawed² out right before it is injected, or it will lose its potency³, and all of this will be a waste of time, money and hope.

　　So, right now, timing⁴ and temperature are absolutely critical. And then it happens.

　　WOMAN: The power went out.

　　MILES O'BRIEN: Another reminder⁵ of how hard it is to conduct a high-tech⁶ vaccine trial in one of the poorest countries on the planet. But they are ready. They have got two backup generators⁷ for the building, solar-charged batteries, and, if all else fails, a special container that maintains about 100 degrees below zero Fahrenheit⁸ for five days without power.

　　Pharmacist Morrison Jusu is delivering the vaccine three-and-a-half miles across Freetown. After a seemingly endless national nightmare, he carries a cooler full of expectations. He knows much is riding with him.

　　MORRISON JUSU, STRIVE Trial Research Team: Some people lost family members. And some families were essentially⁹ wiped out as a result of this thing. And if this vaccine proves out to be something that prevents such in the future, then it's — it's — words cannot describe how much relief that would be to this community.

　　MILES O'BRIEN: While Jusu and the vaccine are wending their way, a line is growing outside their destination, Freetown's Connaught Hospital.

　　The volunteers start showing up before dawn. They are health care workers. This trial is limited to them because they are, by far, the most at risk of contracting Ebola virus disease. Even though there is no evidence the vaccine poses any real danger, they must weigh the rumors¹⁰ and the uncertainties¹¹.

　　MOHAMED SAMBOLA, Vaccine Trial Volunteer (through interpreter): Life is all about risks. But I believe it will be of help in the job that I do.

　　RUGIATU CONTEH, Vaccine Trial Volunteer (through interpreter): It is a high risk for me. I believe this can protect me from Ebola, and that's why I came here for this vaccine.

　　MILES O'BRIEN: It wasn't always this way. The trial got off to a slow start when it began in April. People were too afraid.

　　Dr. Mohamed Samai is one of the principal investigators¹².

　　DR. MOHAMED SAMAI, College of Medicine and Allied¹³ Health Sciences: People said the vaccine was the Ebola virus, so, once you get it, you become infected. So, a lot of people were not willing to come forward there in the first week to take the vaccine, because they thought they should wait and see what happens.

　　MILES O'BRIEN: The vaccine does contain a piece of the Ebola virus, a protein. It's enough to trick the body into triggering its natural defenses, but won't give the recipient¹⁵ Ebola virus disease.

　　On the wall in the lobby of the hospital, a spontaneous memorial to some of the doctors and nurses who died here during the epidemic¹⁶, a grim reminder of what motivates volunteers like Richard Kanu.

　　RICHARD KANU, Vaccine Trial Volunteer (through interpreter): I became aware of it through my friends who got the shot three days ago. Since they're not having any side effects, I decided¹⁷ to come and have a go at it myself, because I feel it will protect me.

　　MILES O'BRIEN: Kanu works on a team that buries the highly contagious¹⁸ dead. He has been shunned¹⁹ by friends, even forced out of his own home.

　　RICHARD KANU (through interpreter): I will go back and tell them that I have had the vaccine and they should rest assured that I won't have the virus. I will probably encourage them to step forward as well.

　　MILES O'BRIEN: Bad traffic delays Jusu's ride to the hospital, but, when he arrives, the vaccine isn't spoiled, and the volunteers are ready. The nursing team doesn't waste any time prepping for the jabs.

　　Aruna Thorlie is a chlorine sprayer who disinfects Ebola treatment units.

　　Have you felt anything different? Did it hurt, anything?

　　ARUNA THORLIE, Vaccine Trial Volunteer (through interpreter): I feel the same as I did before. I hope and pray that it works.

　　MILES O'BRIEN: The vaccine is made by Merck. The trial is a partnership²⁰ between the Sierra Leone Ministry²¹ of Health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the medical college in Freetown.

　　DR. MOHAMED SAMAI: Once we can document the effectiveness of the vaccine, and we are now sure that it can really protect them, we can move to another stage, where we will look at the community and the population at large.

　　MILES O'BRIEN: Across the border in Liberia, a separate trial is testing the same vaccine, along with another one made by GlaxoSmithKline. It is open to all and based at this hospital in Monrovia.

　　In the darkest days of the crisis here in Liberia, a senior doctor and nurse here at Redemption Hospital contracted Ebola virus disease, and they subsequently died. Many of the health care workers here became afraid to come to work and the hospital had to close for a time. In all, 13 members of the hospital staff died here.

　　DR. MARK KIEH, Redemption Hospital: It was scary. It was confusing

　　MILES O'BRIEN: DR. Mark Kieh is the site physician for the trial.

　　So far, there are 1, 500 volunteers. He is carefully watching them for side effects. So far, so good.

　　DR. MARK KIEH: Those we have seen are expected side effects of fever, muscle pain, pain at the injection sites, some joint²² pain, some — few people with rashes that resolve over time.

　　MILES O'BRIEN: The trial is run by Liberia's Ministry of Health and the U.S. National Institute of Allergy²³ and Infectious Disease.

　　Its director, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has intense, intimate understanding of the ravages²⁴ of Ebola.

　　DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases: At least in the most recent patient that we took care of, that that's about as sick as you can get without dying.

　　MILES O'BRIEN: On March 14, 2015, he suited up to treat a U.S. health care worker who became infected in Sierra Leone, and was airlifted to the NIH hospital outside Washington, where he received the highest level of intensive care possible. It kept him alive while his body mounted its own defense¹⁴.

　　It was touch and go for a week, but he survived.

　　DR. ANTHONY FAUCI: All of the people who have recovered from Ebola, even those who have been very ill, it was their immune system that ultimately suppressed and eliminated the virus.

　　MILES O'BRIEN: This is why Fauci and others are optimistic they have a found a way to stop Ebola its tracks. The human body can create the antibodies to fight off Ebola, but usually not fast enough.

　　An effective vaccine creates an army of Ebola antibodies that can stop the virus before it stampedes through the body. But here is the ironic²⁵ rub.

　　DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: If we are successful in controlling Ebola, we won't be successful in determining whether the vaccines²⁶ are effective at preventing Ebola.

　　MILES O'BRIEN: Dr. Tom Frieden is director of the CDC. Ebola cases in Liberia are now at zero, and Sierra Leone is close behind.

　　If no one is getting Ebola, you can't tell for sure if the vaccine is protective, so they have to rely on other evidence.

　　DR. THOMAS FRIEDEN: So, the trials under way now will at least tell us whether they're safe, and they will tell us whether they lead to an immune reaction.

　　We wish we were further along with the vaccine, but it's very difficult to do research in the middle of an epidemic.

　　MILES O'BRIEN: In Freetown, pharmacist Morrison Jusu is among those who scrambled²⁷ to get this trial under way at all. He is anxious to know if the hard work will pay off.

　　MORRISON JUSU: We are really looking forward to it being successful, so that someday in the future, we will be able to say, yes, I was a part of that team and I contributed. So, it will be a great feeling then.

　　MILES O'BRIEN: The answer will have to wait, but no one doubts the vaccine will meet its viral foe²⁸ someday.

　　Miles O'Brien, the PBS NewsHour, Freetown, Sierra Leone.

1 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

2 thawed   

解冻

参考例句：

• The little girl's smile thawed the angry old man. 小姑娘的微笑使发怒的老头缓和下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He thawed after sitting at a fire for a while. 在火堆旁坐了一会儿，他觉得暖和起来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 potency   

n. 效力，潜能

参考例句：

• Alcohol increases the drug's potency.酒精能增加这种毒品的效力。
• Sunscreen can lose its potency if left over winter in the bathroom cabinet.如果把防晒霜在盥洗室的壁橱里放一个冬天，就有可能失效。

4 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

5 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

6 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

7 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 Fahrenheit   

n./adj.华氏温度；华氏温度计(的)

参考例句：

• He was asked for the boiling point of water in Fahrenheit.他被问到水的沸点是华氏多少度。
• The thermometer reads 80 degrees Fahrenheit.寒暑表指出华氏80度。

9 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

10 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 uncertainties   

无把握( uncertainty的名词复数 )； 不确定； 变化不定； 无把握、不确定的事物

参考例句：

• One of the uncertainties of military duty is that you never know when you might suddenly get posted away. 任军职不稳定的因素之一是你永远不知道什么时候会突然被派往它处。
• Uncertainties affecting peace and development are on the rise. 影响和平与发展的不确定因素在增加。 来自汉英非文学 - 十六大报告

12 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

14 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

15 recipient   

a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器

参考例句：

• Please check that you have a valid email certificate for each recipient. 请检查是否对每个接收者都有有效的电子邮件证书。
• Colombia is the biggest U . S aid recipient in Latin America. 哥伦比亚是美国在拉丁美洲最大的援助对象。

16 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

17 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

18 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

19 shunned   

v.避开，回避，避免( shun的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She was shunned by her family when she remarried. 她再婚后家里人都躲着她。
• He was a shy man who shunned all publicity. 他是个怕羞的人，总是避开一切引人注目的活动。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

21 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

22 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

23 allergy   

n.(因食物、药物等而引起的)过敏症

参考例句：

• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。
• The patient had an allergy to penicillin.该患者对青霉素过敏。

24 ravages   

劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹

参考例句：

• the ravages of war 战争造成的灾难
• It is hard for anyone to escape from the ravages of time. 任何人都很难逃避时间的摧残。

25 ironic   

adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的

参考例句：

• That is a summary and ironic end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。
• People used to call me Mr Popularity at high school,but they were being ironic.人们中学时常把我称作“万人迷先生”，但他们是在挖苦我。

26 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

27 scrambled   

v.快速爬行( scramble的过去式和过去分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Each scrambled for the football at the football ground. 足球场上你争我夺。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He scrambled awkwardly to his feet. 他笨拙地爬起身来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 foe   

n.敌人，仇敌

参考例句：

• He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。
• A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。