HEALTH REPORT - Bird Flu and Beyond: Health News in 2005

HEALTH REPORT - Bird Flu and Beyond: Health News in 2005
By Cynthia Kirk

Broadcast: Wednesday, December 28, 2005

I'm Doug Johnson with the VOA Special English Health Report.

We look back this week at some of the top health stories for two thousand five.

Doctors in France made world news with a partial face transplant. But a more important story was the concern about avian influenza¹.

The h-five-n-one virus appeared in birds in Europe for the first time. Yet the only known human cases were still in East Asia.

 
Chickens are vaccinated² at a farm in Sukabumi, West Java, Indonesia, Friday, 16 Dec 2005
The World Health Organization says there have been around one hundred forty confirmed cases since two thousand three. About half the people died.

Most of the victims had touched or been around infected poultry³ birds, or surfaces with the virus. But the worry is that it could change into a form that spreads easily from person to person.

Several countries are working on vaccines⁴ to protect against avian influenza. The effectiveness cannot be known, however, until the virus enters the general population.

If that happens, the drug Tamiflu is the best-known treatment. Yet just last week researchers said resistance to the drug may be more common than experts had thought.

Other health stories in two thousand five involved diseases already well-established. Experts said three million more people died of AIDS-related conditions. Almost five million more became infected. AIDS has killed more than twenty-five million people since nineteen eighty-one.

Treatment efforts have improved. But the United Nations said only one area of the world has not had an increase in the number of H.I.V. cases in the past two years. There was no change in the Caribbean, which is the second hardest-hit area after southern Africa.

Worldwide, an estimated forty million people are now living with the virus that causes AIDS.

Our final story of the year deals with chronic⁵ diseases, like heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes⁶. Experts say chronic diseases are the major cause of death and disability among adults worldwide.

Thirty-five million people were expected to die from chronic diseases in two thousand five. Health officials say that is two times as many deaths as from infectious diseases, pregnancy-related disorders⁷ and nutritional⁸ problems combined. Yet they say a better diet, more exercise and less or, better still, no smoking can often reduce the risk of chronic disease.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Cynthia Kirk.  I'm Doug Johnson, wishing you a happy and healthy two thousand six.

1 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。

2 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

3 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?

4 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。

5 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

6 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

7 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 nutritional   

adj.营养的，滋养的

参考例句：

• A diet lacking in nutritional value will not keep a person healthy.缺乏营养价值的饮食不能维持人的健康。
• The labels on food products give a lot of information about their nutritional content.食品上的标签提供很多关于营养成分的信息。