VOA慢速英语2014 世界卫生组织:瘟疫可能在马达加斯加蔓延

 

WHO: Plague in Madagascar Could Spread 世界卫生组织:瘟疫可能在马达加斯加蔓延

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health Report.

For much of 2014, health officials around the world have been guarding against Ebola virus.

There is another disease that can cause as much attention and fear – the plague.

Last week, the World Health Organization reported on cases of plague in the island nation of Madagascar. WHO officials warned the disease could spread throughout the country.

Madagascar's health ministry¹ reported in November that the plague has killed nearly 50 people. And it said over 130 people are thought to be infected.

Just the word plague alone calls up images of the Black Death hundreds of years ago. The Black Plague killed more than 25 million people in Medieval Europe.

Madagascar is far from that number.

But the World Health Organization reports that the plague could infect many people. So, the WHO is working with health officials in Madagascar to contain the outbreak.

The plague is not new to Madagascar. It seems to reappear in the country every year.

However, the WHO’s Christian² Lindmeier says the U.N. health agency is very concerned about this outbreak. He says the number of cases of plague appears to be higher than in recent years.

“Cases have been reported in 16 districts of seven regions. In Antananarivo, the capital and largest city in Madagascar, also two recorded cases have been identified, including one death."

Mr. Lindmeier says the disease could spread quickly because of the city’s high population and the weakness of the health care system. Another problem is that the insects spreading the disease are becoming resistant³ to the chemical product designed to kill them. 

The first case of the plague was identified on August 31. The patient died three days later. However, the health officials in Madagascar did not report the outbreak to the WHO until November 4.

Christian Lindmeier says measures for the control and prevention of plague are being put into effect in the affected⁴ areas. He says personal protective equipment, insecticides and antibiotics⁶ are being made available in those areas.

He says a WHO expert has gone to Madagascar to work with the health officials there. They plan to fully⁷ investigate the situation to see what more needs to be done to bring the disease under control. 

“Plague can be a very severe disease in people with a case fatality⁸ ratio of 30 to 60 percent if left untreated. Plague is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, a zoonotic bacteria usually found in small animals and their fleas¹⁰. People infected with plague usually develop flu-like symptoms after an incubation period of three to seven days.” 

Humans bitten by an infected flea⁹ usually develop a bubonic form of plague. It causes the swelling¹¹, or enlargement, of lymph nodes. If the bacteria reach the lungs, the patient develops pneumonia¹². The disease can spread from person to person through infected droplets¹³ spread by coughing. 

Bubonic plague can be successfully treated with antibiotic⁵ drugs if caught early. But the WHO says pneumonic¹⁴ plague is one of the most deadly infectious diseases. It can kill patients within 24 hours after infection. To date, WHO says only two percent of reported cases are of the pneumonic form.

Words in This Story

plague – n. a disease that causes death and that spreads quickly to a large number of people

lymph node – n. any one of many rounded masses of tissue in the body through which lymph passes to be filtered and cleaned

resistant – adj. giving, capable of, or exhibiting resistance — often used in combination, such as a drug-resistant strain of virus

insecticide – n. a chemical product that is used to kill insects

antibiotic – n. medical. a drug that is used to kill harmful bacteria and to cure infections

pneumonia – n. medical. a serious disease that affects the lungs and makes it difficult to breathe. (Pneumonic is the adjective form.)

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1 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。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

4 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。

5 antibiotic   

adj.抗菌的；n.抗生素

参考例句：

• The doctor said that I should take some antibiotic.医生说我应该服些用抗生素。
• Antibiotic can be used against infection.抗菌素可以用来防止感染。

6 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

7 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

8 fatality   

n.不幸，灾祸，天命

参考例句：

• She struggle against fatality in vain.她徒然奋斗反抗宿命。
• He began to have a growing sense of fatality.他开始有一种越来越强烈的宿命感。

9 flea   

n.跳蚤

参考例句：

• I'll put a flea in his ear if he bothers me once more.如果他再来打扰的话，我就要对他不客气了。
• Hunter has an interest in prowling around a flea market.亨特对逛跳蚤市场很感兴趣。

10 fleas   

n.跳蚤( flea的名词复数 )；爱财如命；没好气地（拒绝某人的要求）

参考例句：

• The dog has fleas. 这条狗有跳蚤。
• Nothing must be done hastily but killing of fleas. 除非要捉跳蚤，做事不可匆忙。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 swelling   

n.肿胀

参考例句：

• Use ice to reduce the swelling. 用冰敷消肿。
• There is a marked swelling of the lymph nodes. 淋巴结处有明显的肿块。

12 pneumonia   

n.肺炎

参考例句：

• Cage was struck with pneumonia in her youth.凯奇年轻时得过肺炎。
• Pneumonia carried him off last week.肺炎上星期夺去了他的生命。

13 droplets   

n.小滴( droplet的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Droplets of sweat were welling up on his forehead. 他额头上冒出了滴滴汗珠。 来自辞典例句
• In constrast, exhaled smoke contains relatively large water droplets and appears white. 相反，从人嘴里呼出的烟则包含相当大的水滴，所以呈白色。 来自辞典例句

14 pneumonic   

adj.肺的；肺炎的

参考例句：

• The chill superinduced a pneumonic condition. 受寒并发了肺炎。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The fatality rate of pneumonic plague a staggering 95 percent. 肺鼠疫的死亡率是达到惊人95％。 来自互联网