VOA慢速英语2015 WHO:抗生素抗药性威胁日益增加

AS IT IS 2015-05-19 WHO: Growing Threat from Antibiotic¹ Resistance WHO:抗生素抗药性威胁日益增加

The World Health Organization says an increasing number of infections cannot be treated because of growing resistance to antibiotic drugs. This resistance puts the lives of millions of people at risk.

The WHO studied 133 countries. It found that no part of the world is ready to fight the growing threat. It says only twenty-five percent of the countries it studied has a thorough plan to fight resistance to antibiotics² and other antimicrobial medicines.

The study also found that many people do not know about the problem. And, the researchers say many people believe antibiotics are effective against viral infections. The organization says this misunderstanding causes antibiotics to be used even when they will not work. The resulting overuse can cause resistance.

Charles Penn is a WHO expert on antimicrobial resistance. He says researchers discovered that antibiotics and similar medicines are sold in many places without a doctor’s prescription³. He says this increases the possibility of overuse of antibiotics and increases resistance.

The WHO official says urgent action is needed or the world will enter a “post-antibiotic” period. That means a time when common infections and minor⁴ injuries could once again kill people. Charles Penn says doctors also would lose the ability to treat many more serious conditions like tuberculosis⁵, HIV and malaria⁶. And he says advanced medical treatments like major surgery will become much riskier⁷ or impossible.

This is not a problem for future worry. Charles Penn says there are diseases and infections that no longer are treatable with available antibiotics today.  For example, he says antibiotics no longer affect the disease gonorrhea.

“Another example would be hundreds of thousands of new cases of multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis each year. Again, these are infections that have already become very difficult to treat. And it's difficult to put a precise number on what will happen in the future, but if we do not act it can only get worse.”

The World Health Assembly is now meeting in Geneva to discuss a Global Action Plan to fight antimicrobial and antibiotic resistance.

Words in This Story

thorough – adj. including every possible part or detail

antimicrobial – adj. destroying or slowing the growth of microorganisms

prescription – n. a written message from a doctor that officially tells someone to use a medicine or therapy

surgery – n. medical treatment in which a doctor cuts into someone's body in order to repair or remove damaged or diseased parts

precise – adj. exact

1 antibiotic   

adj.抗菌的；n.抗生素

参考例句：

• The doctor said that I should take some antibiotic.医生说我应该服些用抗生素。
• Antibiotic can be used against infection.抗菌素可以用来防止感染。

2 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。

3 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

4 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

5 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

6 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

7 riskier   

冒险的，危险的( risky的比较级 )

参考例句：

• Now they are starting to demand higher returns on riskier assets. 而今他们开始在风险更高的资产上要求更高的回报。
• The problem with that: RIM's business is getting riskier every quarter. 不过问题也随之而来：RIM面临的业务风险正逐季增大。