2007年VOA标准英语-Nigeria Confirms First Case of Human Bird Flu

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
31 January 2007

The Nigerian government says laboratory tests for the deadly bird flu virus on samples taken from human victims are positive. For VOA, Gilbert da Costa reports that the authorities have moved quickly to assure the public of their safety.
 
An official statement late Wednesday says a 22-year-old female who died in Lagos on January 17 is the first confirmed human case of bird flu in Nigeria.
 
Another victim is said to be receiving treatment at a Lagos hospital.
 
Dr. Abdulsalam Nasidi, the official in charge of the stemming the spread of  bird flu to humans in Nigeria, told VOA that the government has started a huge health campaign to contain the virus.
 
"We are going to embark¹ on a massive public health campaign," Dr. Nasidi said. "And also, we are working with ministry² of agric [agriculture] experts to handle the livestock³ aspect, particularly poultry⁴ from the market, and restrict movement of poultry, particularly interstate. We are going to increase bio security, bio safety in poultry and in the health sector⁵, we are going to work quickly with the contacts and also increase our surveillance."
 
The H5N1 virus is usually spread through contact with infected birds, but experts fear it could mutate into a form that passes easily between people.
 
Nigeria, Africa's most populous⁶ country, was the first on the continent to report bird flu in poultry last year.
 
Dr. Nasidi says health authorities are taking steps to assure Nigerians that they are fully⁷ disclosing all information on the virus.
 
 "The whole world is worried, not only Nigerians," Dr. Nasidi said. "So, what we are trying to do now, is to assure Nigerians that we are very truthful⁸, we are not hiding any information and we are going to work hard to protect their health, by telling them the truth. We are communicating with masses of Nigerians, to tell them what we have found and tell them what to do, to protect themselves."

Bird flu has killed about 150 people worldwide since late 2003, with most of the deaths in Asia.

1 embark   

vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机

参考例句：

• He is about to embark on a new business venture.他就要开始新的商业冒险活动。
• Many people embark for Europe at New York harbor.许多人在纽约港乘船去欧洲。

2 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。

3 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

4 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?

5 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

6 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

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 truthful   

adj.真实的，说实话的，诚实的

参考例句：

• You can count on him for a truthful report of the accident.你放心，他会对事故作出如实的报告的。
• I don't think you are being entirely truthful.我认为你并没全讲真话。