2007年VOA标准英语-Iraqi Health Officials Fight Cholera Outbreak

By Jim Randle
Baghdad
26 September 2007

U.N. health officials say there is a strong possibility that a cholera¹ outbreak in Iraq that has already caused at least 11 deaths will spread to new areas of the country. But as VOA's Jim Randle reports from Baghdad, Iraqi officials say they are fighting the disease successfully.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 30,000 people have been afflicted² with acute diarrhea and at least 2,100  with cholera, which is potentially fatal.  

Most of the cases are in the north in Sulaimaniya, Kirkuk, and Irbil, but the U.N. agency reports a small number of cases from Dahuk in the far north to Basra in the south and including the capital, Baghdad.

The World Health Organization warns it is "highly possible" the outbreak will spread to new areas.

The head of parliament's health committee, Dr. Nawzad Salih says Iraqi officials are fighting the disease by increasing chlorination of drinking water to kill the microbes that cause the illness.

Dr. Salih, a member of parliament, says Iraqi officials are working to speed up the import of chlorine to help disinfect drinking water.

For a while, Iraqi authorities held up the import of chlorine, out of fear the chemical would be hijacked³ and used by insurgents⁴ for explosives. Several chlorine truck bombs earlier this year killed scores of people.

Dr. Salih says cholera is endemic to Iraq so officials here have years of experience dealing⁵ with the illness.  He says basic public health measures are a key to preventing the disease.

"The government can do everything in that the situation is not so dangerous and controlling of cholera is not so difficult," he explained.  "We can control water, and we can control sewage and we ask the people do everything correctly, washing hands and vegetables."

Cholera is an acute gastrointestinal infection that is spread when people consume water or food contaminated with the feces of an infected person.  U.N. health experts say many people affected⁶ do not develop symptoms, but in others cholera can lead to death by severe dehydration⁷ and kidney failure.

People with reduced immunity⁸, such as malnourished children or people living with HIV, are at greater risk of death if infected by cholera.

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 afflicted   

使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• About 40% of the country's population is afflicted with the disease. 全国40%左右的人口患有这种疾病。
• A terrible restlessness that was like to hunger afflicted Martin Eden. 一阵可怕的、跟饥饿差不多的不安情绪折磨着马丁·伊登。

3 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

4 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

5 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 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。

8 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。