VOA标准英语2013--Valley Fever Raises Concerns in California, Arizona

Valley Fever Raises Concerns in California, Arizona

Dale Pulde is selling his California home because he's unable to meet his payments.  The motorcycle mechanic and drag car racer was infected with Valley Fever in California's Central Valley and has mostly been unable to work. He used to race in the valley.  

He would often have aches and pains when he returned to his home in Los Angeles and, one year, he developed a terrible cough.  At first, he coughed so hard that he blacked out.

“Breaking out in welts and sweats.  The doctors didn't know what to do, and they had me loaded full of [the anti-inflammatory drug] prednisone and all kinds of different things, and it was basically getting worse," said Pulde.

In late 2010, doctors diagnosed him with Valley Fever, and he's been taking anti-fungal drugs since then, including one that costs nearly $1,000 a bottle.  

Valley Fever, known to doctors as coccidioidomycosis, is spread by fungal spores¹ released into the air when the soil is disturbed.  It's becoming more common as people move into once rural areas, including California's Central Valley and other semi-arid areas of the US southwest, especially Arizona, and parts of Latin America.

Doctor Robert Kaplan is a specialist who teaches at the University of California, Irvine.  He says half of those infected show no symptoms, while others have aches and fever. In a a minority of patients, he says, there is lung disease and, in one percent, more serious conditions.  

“The most important one is meningitis, where it affects the lining² of the brain and the spinal³ cord, and that can be a very, very bad disease," said Kaplan.

Valley Fever can also spread to the bones and, at its worst, can be fatal.

It's hardest on people with depressed⁴ immune systems and, for reasons not yet clear, on certain racial groups, says Dr. Claire Panosian Dunavan, a specialist at the University of California, Los Angeles.  

“Filipinos, African Americans, Native Americans, Hispanics and Asians," said Dunavan.

But others with little susceptibility are also vulnerable, like Seattle resident Sharon Filip.  She is Caucasian and was healthy but contracted the disease while visiting Arizona. Now, she operates a website called Valley Fever Survivor⁵ with her son David.

“I was a shadow of who I was beforehand.  And I should also say, I never had an immuno-compromised situation.  I was not sick.  I never was on medication," said Filip.

On the website, she has described her battle against the disease in graphic⁶ detail.  She says Valley Fever should get more attention.

Dr. Dunavan agrees.

“I think the first priority is to raise the awareness⁷ of patients and doctors who should be diagnosing it, trying to put people on treatment if it's warranted," she said.

There is so far no cure or vaccine⁸ to prevent Valley Fever, and reported cases are increasing.  Doctors say, for now, early detection is the most effective way to fight the disease. 

1 spores   

n.（细菌、苔藓、蕨类植物）孢子( spore的名词复数 )v.（细菌、苔藓、蕨类植物）孢子( spore的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Ferns, mosses and fungi spread by means of spores. 蕨类植物、苔藓和真菌通过孢子传播蔓生。
• Spores form a lipid membrane during the process of reproducing. 孢于在生殖过程中形成类脂膜。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 预防生物武器

2 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

3 spinal   

adj.针的，尖刺的，尖刺状突起的；adj.脊骨的，脊髓的

参考例句：

• After three days in Japan,the spinal column becomes extraordinarily flexible.在日本三天，就已经使脊椎骨变得富有弹性了。
• Your spinal column is made up of 24 movable vertebrae.你的脊柱由24个活动的脊椎骨构成。

4 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

5 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

6 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

7 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

8 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。