VOA标准英语2010年-Haiti, Nigeria Battle Cholera

Health providers and aid groups have mobilized to combat outbreaks of cholera¹ in Haiti and Nigeria. Often causing extreme dysentery and dehydration², cholera arises from a strain of bacteria that is easily spread and hard to eradicate³ from infected zones. Cholera is a common after-effect of natural calamities⁴.

Ever since January's massive earthquake devastated⁵ Haiti, health officials have warned of the dangers of cholera. In a country where public sanitation⁶ infrastructure⁷ is poor to non-existent and clean drinking water is often hard to come by, more than 3,000 cholera cases and more than 250 deaths have been reported in recent weeks, mostly north of Port-au-Prince.

Doctor John Andrus, Deputy Director of the Pan American Health Organization, spoke⁸ with reporters this week:

"People with low immunity⁹, such as malnourished children or people with the HIV virus, are of greatest risk for death, if infected [with cholera]," said Andrus.

Across the Atlantic, heavy rains are blamed for more than 1,500 cholera deaths in Nigeria so far this year, including the brother of this man.

He said that he was at the house of his brother, who was feeling ill. He says he gave his brother salt water and took him to a hospital the next day. Two days later, the man says, his brother was dead.

The past year has also seen cholera outbreaks in Zimbabwe, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh.

 

Cholera often emerges in underdeveloped regions struck by disaster, according to infectious disease expert Peter Hotez of George Washington University.

"It is a disease that occurs under extreme conditions: with individuals who are debilitated¹⁰ because of malnutrition¹¹, but also where there is a massive breakdown¹² of public health infrastructure - either because of war in a refugee camp setting, or in extreme poverty, or in natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods," said Hotez.

Cholera is easily treatable with saline solutions, intravenous fluids, and antibiotics¹³ - but time is of the essence. Absent swift medical attention, death can come in a matter of hours, according to Dr. Hotez.

"The cholera bacillus produces a toxin¹⁴, and this toxin has the ability to poison cells in such a way that you can no longer absorb water from your gastro-intestinal tract," he said. "In fact, you start secreting¹⁵ massive volumes of water. So you can become a shriveled, desiccated individual just a few hours after infection."

Not everyone who contracts cholera falls ill. Some show no symptoms but nonetheless can spread bacteria in the surrounding environment. Water purification, hand-washing, and proper waste disposal are recommended to prevent and contain cholera.

Haiti's cholera outbreak is its first in decades. Health experts say the epidemic¹⁶ already shows signs of ebbing¹⁷ and will likely continue to do so. But they add that Haiti and its island-neighbor, the Dominican Republic, could see new cases for years to come.

Again, the Pan American Health Organization's John Andrus:

"Now that cholera has established itself with a strong foothold in Haiti, it is clear to us that this will not go away for several years," he said.

In the short term, health officials and aid groups can rush treatments and supplies to cholera-stricken regions. In the long term, improving sanitation and overall infrastructure in underdeveloped regions is seen as key to combating the disease.
 

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 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。

3 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

4 calamities   

n.灾祸，灾难( calamity的名词复数 )；不幸之事

参考例句：

• They will only triumph by persevering in their struggle against natural calamities. 他们只有坚持与自然灾害搏斗，才能取得胜利。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• One moment's false security can bring a century of calamities. 图一时之苟安，贻百年之大患。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

6 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。

7 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 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。

10 debilitated   

adj.疲惫不堪的，操劳过度的v.使（人或人的身体）非常虚弱( debilitate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Prolonged strike action debilitated the industry. 长时间的罢工削弱了这个行业的活力。
• This is especially important when dealing with the geriatric or debilitated patient. 这对老年和虚弱病人尤其重要。 来自互联网

11 malnutrition   

n.营养不良

参考例句：

• In Africa, there are a lot of children suffering from severe malnutrition.在非洲有大批严重营养不良的孩子。
• It is a classic case of malnutrition. 这是营养不良的典型病例。

12 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

13 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。

14 toxin   

n.毒素，毒质

参考例句：

• Experts have linked this condition to a build-up of toxins in the body.专家已把这一病症与体内毒素的积累联系起来。
• Tests showed increased levels of toxin in shellfish.检验表明水生有壳动物的毒素水平提高了。

15 secreting   

v.（尤指动物或植物器官）分泌( secrete的现在分词 )；隐匿，隐藏

参考例句：

• It is also an endocrine gland secreting at least two important hormones. 它也是一种内分泌腺，至少分泌二种重要的激素。 来自辞典例句
• And some calcite-secreting organisms also add magnesium to the mix. 有些分泌方解石的生物，会在分泌物中加入镁。 来自互联网

16 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

17 ebbing   

（指潮水）退( ebb的现在分词 )； 落； 减少； 衰落

参考例句：

• The pain was ebbing. 疼痛逐渐减轻了。
• There are indications that his esoteric popularity may be ebbing. 有迹象表明，他神秘的声望可能正在下降。