WHO: Cholera in Chad Could Spread to Sudan's Darfur

 

By Carrie Giardino
 
The government of Chad is calling for international assistance to fight a cholera¹ outbreak in the country. The World Health Organization says it is concerned that the disease could spread to the Darfur region of western Sudan, which is already struggling with his own humanitarian² crisis due to violence.
The government of Chad says more than 2,000 cases of cholera have been reported in the country, and it expects that number to more than double by the end of the rainy season in September.
Authough, the majority of cases in Chad are being reported in the region surrounding the capital in the west. But the WHO says it is deeply worried that it could spread to neighboring Sudan and the refugee camps sprawled³ across its troubled western region of Darfur.
An expert with the WHO, Claire-lise Chaignat, says the disease is endemic to mainly poorer areas that do not have access to safe water supplies. "Another risk factor is also the refugees living in refugee camps where they are living in close communities with not enough water and no proper sanitation⁴," she said. "So, that is a high risk also for the community. So, for example, we are very much scared that, now, in the crisis in Darfur, or in the eastern Chad, there might be a cholera outbreak. In case the germ occurs because the water and sanitation situation is so bad that it's really, a real risk that we might have a cholera outbreak there."
Chad has been battling a potential locust⁵ scourge⁶ in the west, and has received an influx⁷ of refugees in the east from the fighting taking place in the Darfur region. The government is asking for nearly $200,000 in aid to try to curb⁸ the spread of cholera.
Cholera outbreaks are being reported throughout much of central and western Africa this year, including Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Guinea and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The disease spreads quickly in areas where water supplies are contaminated and causes dehydration⁹ within days. It can lead to death if victims are untreated within a week
Carrie Giardino , VOA News, Abidjan.

注释：
assistance 援助
outbreak 突然蔓延
case 病例
refugee 难民
endemic 地方性的
sanitation 卫生措施
potential 潜在的
Cameroon 喀麦隆
Sierra Leone 塞拉利昂
Guinea 几内亚
victim 受害者

1 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

2 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

3 sprawled   

v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的过去式和过去分词)；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawled full-length across the bed. 他手脚摊开横躺在床上。
• He was lying sprawled in an armchair, watching TV. 他四肢伸开正懒散地靠在扶手椅上看电视。

4 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

5 locust   

n.蝗虫；洋槐，刺槐

参考例句：

• A locust is a kind of destructive insect.蝗虫是一种害虫。
• This illustration shows a vertical section through the locust.本图所示为蝗虫的纵剖面。

6 scourge   

n.灾难，祸害；v.蹂躏

参考例句：

• Smallpox was once the scourge of the world.天花曾是世界的大患。
• The new boss was the scourge of the inefficient.新老板来了以后，不称职的人就遭殃了。

7 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

8 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

9 dehydration   

n.脱水，干燥

参考例句：

• He died from severe dehydration.他死于严重脱水。
• The eyes are often retracted from dehydration.眼睛常因脱水而凹陷。