2007年VOA标准英语-Rift Valley Fever Outbreak in Kenya Tapering Of

By Cathy Majtenyi
Nairobi
26 January 2007

Health authorities in Kenya say an outbreak of Rift¹ Valley Fever that began last month appears to be tapering² off. The outbreak has killed more than 100 people. Cathy Majtenyi reports for VOA from Nairobi.

A nurse attends to one of the Rifty Valley fever patients,after she was admitted at the district hospital in Kilifi Kenya, 05 Jan 2007

The ministry³ of health's senior deputy director of medical services, Shahnaaz Sharif, tells VOA that, although there is an increase in the number of cases of Rift Valley Fever being reported in different parts of Kenya, there are fewer and fewer recent infections.

"A case may have occurred let's say in December or January, but they are reported to us right now, this week. So, occasionally what happens is that the numbers increase, because communication has improved so they send us the report," said Sharif. "But the cases may have occurred in early January. According to our figures, the last [case] where we had onset⁴ of symptoms is 14th of January."

The outbreak of the virus first occurred in early December in Kenya's Northeastern Province, and has since spread to five other provinces.

Health official Sharif says there have been 402 reported cases of Rift Valley Fever, with 118 people dying from the virus.

Northeastern Province's medical services director, Omar Ahmed, tells VOA that his province has been hit the hardest. There are 357 cases in his area, with 100 reported deaths.

Ahmed explains the measures health authorities took to contain the outbreak in his area.

"We have employed around 40 staff to handle the situation, extra staff. We created isolation⁵ areas in the hospitals. We have also brought in the specific protective equipment and protective garments for the staff. We have done a lot of spraying of houses and sites where there is water," he said. "We have educated the community through all the media. We also banned the slaughter⁶ and consumption of [beef] animals in the province - cow, goat, sheep, and camel."

Rift Valley Fever is a virus that is transmitted from cattle to humans through mosquitoes. Major symptoms include fever, weakness, back pain, dizziness, vomiting⁷, and weight loss. The condition is fatal in about five percent of the cases.

1 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

2 tapering   

adj.尖端细的

参考例句：

• Interest in the scandal seems to be tapering off. 人们对那件丑闻的兴趣似乎越来越小了。
• Nonproductive expenditures keep tapering down. 非生产性开支一直在下降。

3 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。

4 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

5 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

6 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

7 vomiting   

吐

参考例句：

• Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. 症状有腹泻和呕吐。
• Especially when I feel seasick, I can't stand watching someone else vomiting." 尤其晕船的时候，看不得人家呕。”