2006年VOA标准英语-Scientists Study New Technique to Vaccinat

By David McAlary
Washington
23 May 2006
 

Chickens at US farm  
  
Scientists have developed an efficient, cheap way to vaccinate¹ birds against avian influenza² and possibly prevent the spread of the deadly H5N1 strain to humans. They have devised a method of combining avian flu vaccine³ with a vaccine already widely used against another very common bird virus.

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With the H5N1 virus spreading among birds globally, American and German biologists working independently of each other have come up with the same approach to reducing the threat to people.

Using genetic⁴ engineering, they inserted genes⁵ from a bird flu virus into a second avian virus called Newcastle disease, for which a vaccine already exists. The combination virus that resulted from this laboratory experiment, when used in a vaccine, protected chickens against both diseases.

The bird flu viruses the two groups used were not the H5N1 strain that many fear could jump to humans and cause a deadly global pandemic. But the leader of the U.S. research team, microbiologist Peter Palese of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, says the experiments show in principle that the same approach could work against H5N1 in birds. "Clearly, the principle here is that we make a dual⁶ vaccine against both Newcastle disease virus as well as avian influenza and take advantage of the fact that every chicken already is vaccinated⁷ against Newcastle diseas," he said.

Newcastle disease vaccinations⁸ typically are sprayed into chicken coops or added to the birds' drinking water, quick and inexpensive methods of inoculation⁹. Palese says his study and the one from Germany prove it is possible to design effective multi-disease vaccines¹⁰ that can be administered so cheaply to birds and at the same time cut the threat of avian flu to people. "So it would prevent the spread of avian influenza in chickens and poultry¹¹, which would reduce the danger that it would jump into humans," he said.

The German researchers, from the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, believe the combination vaccine approach could work with people as well as poultry. Although they did not specify¹² how, presumably an annual flu virus could be combined with the H5N1 strain to produce a dual human vaccine if H5N1 ever mutates to transmit from person to person.

But infectious diseases physician William Schaffner of the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville says the notion is premature¹³. "At the moment, we are just developing pandemic influenza vaccines, so the optimal¹⁴ way to use those vaccines has not yet been established. So thinking about a strategy how they are going to be used, whether introduced into the routine [flu shot] or kept off to the side, is a little in advance of where we are. Nonetheless, you can be sure that those kinds of conversations in advisory¹⁵ committees have already occurred and no decisions have been made about that," he said.

The findings about a combination Newcastle disease and bird flu vaccine appear in the Proceedings¹⁶ of the (U.S.) National Academy of Sciences.

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 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。

3 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。

4 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

5 genes   

n.基因( gene的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因，所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪

6 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

7 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？

8 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 inoculation   

n.接芽；预防接种

参考例句：

• Travellers are reminded that inoculation against yellow fever is advisable. 提醒旅游者接种预防黄热病的疫苗是明智的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Travelers are reminded that inoculation against yellow fever is advisable. 旅客们被提醒，注射黄热病预防针是明智的。 来自辞典例句

10 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。

11 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?

12 specify   

vt.指定，详细说明

参考例句：

• We should specify a time and a place for the meeting.我们应指定会议的时间和地点。
• Please specify what you will do.请你详述一下你将做什么。

13 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

14 optimal   

adj.最适宜的；最理想的；最令人满意的

参考例句：

• What is the optimal mix of private and public property rights in natural resources?私人和国家的自然资源产权的最适宜的组合是什么？
• Optimal path planning is a key link for the sailing contest.帆船最优行驶路径规划是帆船比赛取胜的关键环节。

15 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

16 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼