VOA慢速英语20060314a

AGRICULTURE REPORT - More Nations Move to Vaccinate¹ Farm Birds Against Deadly FluBy Mario Ritter

Broadcast: Tuesday, March 14, 2006

I'm Steve Ember with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.

Until last year, only China, Indonesia, Pakistan and Vietnam widely used vaccines² in an effort to protect farm birds against bird flu. But now other countries are interested. In late February the European Union gave France and the Netherlands permission to vaccinate farm birds against the h-five-n-one virus.


A zoo employee in Lille, France, tries to capture³ a goose for vaccination⁴ against bird flu

Experts say vaccines might provide a good way to protect chickens and other poultry⁵ in areas where wild birds could spread infection. But vaccines are not the only way to contain the disease⁶.

Another preventive measure is to keep farm birds sheltered, away from wild birds. Also, farm birds should not drink from open water supplies where they could become infected.

But animal health experts say wild birds are only part of the problem. In some areas, trade in poultry products might be a greater risk to spread the virus.

Experts say one of the best weapons against bird flu is information. They advise health officials to use schools and other public places to keep people informed.

Farm birds must be destroyed when an outbreak has been confirmed. Also, restrictions⁷ must be placed on travel to and from the affected⁸ areas.

Fast local action is an important first step. Observing biological security⁹ measures is also important. Workers involved in destroying birds must wear protective¹⁰ clothing. They are advised to clean all clothing and tools with soap for at least ten minutes.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says governments should pay farmers for their destroyed animals. This way, farmers are more likely to report possible cases of disease.

The F.A.O. says poor farmers have suffered the worst economic effects of avian influenza¹¹. In Indonesia, twenty percent of workers in the farm bird industry have lost their jobs. In Vietnam and Cambodia, meat prices jumped thirty percent after bird flu hit live bird markets.

Wild birds like ducks and seabirds are blamed for the spread of the virus in many cases in Europe. But in Africa, health officials are concerned that bird flu is spreading through trade. They point to a lack of disease-control measures among farmers and traders in markets. Infected birds have been found in a number of states in Nigeria.

The more people are around infected birds, the more chance for the deadly virus to gain the ability to pass easily from person to person.

This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. Read and listen to our reports at www.unsv.com. I'm Steve Ember.

1 vaccinate   

vt.给…接种疫苗；种牛痘

参考例句：

• Local health officials then can plan the best times to vaccinate people.这样，当地的卫生官员就可以安排最佳时间给人们接种疫苗。
• Doctors vaccinate us so that we do not catch smallpox.医生给我们打预防针使我们不会得天花。

2 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。

3 capture   

vt.捕获，俘获；占领，夺得；n.抓住，捕获

参考例句：

• The company is out to capture the European market.这家公司希望占据欧洲市场。
• With the capture of the escaped tiger,everyone felt relieved.逃出来的老虎被捕获后，大家都松了一口气。

4 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

5 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

6 disease   

n.疾病，弊端

参考例句：

• The doctors are trying to stamp out the disease.医生正在尽力消灭这种疾病。
• He fought against the disease for a long time.他同疾病做了长时间的斗争。

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

8 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

9 security   

n.安全，安全感；防护措施；保证(金)，抵押(品)；债券，证券

参考例句：

• A security guard brought him down with a flying tackle.一名保安人员飞身把他抱倒。
• There was tight security at the airport when the President's plane landed.总统的专机降落时，机场的保安措施很严密。

10 protective   

adj.防护的，保护的

参考例句：

• A mother naturally feels protective towards her children.做母亲的天生要保护自己的孩子。
• We feel safe with a protective device in the house.我们因为家里有了防护装置而感到安全。

11 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。