世卫组织宣布兹卡病毒为全球卫生紧急状况

WHO Declares Zika a Global Health Emergency 世卫组织宣布兹卡病毒为全球卫生紧急状况

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the spread of mosquito-borne Zika virus a global public health emergency.  

On Monday, the global health agency held an emergency meeting in Geneva after warning the public that Zika is spreading "explosively" across the Americas.

Dr. Margaret Chan is the director-general of the WHO. She said after the meeting that the cases of microcephaly in regions with Zika cases “constitute an extraordinary event and a public health threat to other parts of the world.”

Last week, health officials confirmed one case of the virus in Denmark, five in Great Britain, three cases in the United States and 18 in its territory of Puerto Rico.

The global health organization also predicts that Zika could infect as many as four million people in the Americas this year.

Symptoms of the zika virus

The symptoms from the virus are minor¹. The symptoms are flu-like and include a rash. But the results for some infected with Zika -- namely pregnant women -- are devastating².

The WHO suspects the virus may be linked to brain disorders³ in babies. Health experts highly suspect there may be a link between the illness and microcephaly. Microcephaly is a birth defect in which babies are born with very small heads and underdeveloped brains. However, a definite link between Zika and microcephaly has not been proven.

World Health Organization spokesman Gregory Hartl has this to say: "So, one of the curiosities is why we have so many neurological cases in say the northeast of Brazil, but we have not had it in other places. So, we really need to understand what is existing that causes these microcephaly cases, for example, in children."  

Zika is not Ebola

The last time the WHO declared a public health emergency was for the Ebola outbreak in 2014. The global health agency was criticized at the time for its slow response and the outbreak killed more than 11,000 people.

Hartl does not agree with claims that the Zika virus could pose a threat similar to that of Ebola. He says that Ebola is transmitted by contact with bodily fluids from person to person and kills about 50 percent of its victims. 

"Zika has never killed a person and it is transmitted by the mosquito. So, we know that there are those two fundamental differences at least. Let us say that Zika on its own would not be the consideration of an emergency committee. What is the concern to the international community is the possible link with neurological disorders."  

How to not get Zika

There is currently no treatment or vaccine⁴ for Zika.

Anthony Fauci is director of the National Institute for Allergy⁵ and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). He says it would take "a few years" before a vaccine is readily available to the public. Fauci says what other public health experts are saying – for now, the way to fight the disease is "mosquito control."

Mosquito control means killing⁶ the eggs and larvae⁷ and cleaning up standing⁸ water where mosquitoes may breed.

In addition, Fauci adds that people in areas affected⁹ by Zika should practice “mosquito avoidance.”

This means wearing long sleeved plants and shirts, sleeping with mosquito nets and using mosquito repellant.

Where does it come from?

The Zika virus gets its name from a forest in Uganda where the virus was first identified in 1947. The virus is known to exist in tropical areas like Africa, the Americas, Southern Asia and Western Pacific.

People can catch the Zika virus after being bitten by an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito. This is the same mosquito that can spread dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control says that Brazil reported its first case of Zika virus in May 2015. Since then, the virus has spread by mosquitoes and has caused infections in Brazil and many other countries in Latin America.

Zika in Asia

The WHO also says Zika has been more common in Southeast Asia than the few cases reported in the region in the past several years.

However, the WHO regional office in Southeast Asia says there has also been no link so far between Zika and microcephaly in Southeast Asia.

Malaysian and Singaporean public health officials have warned of a high risk of contagion¹⁰ if the virus is introduced there.

The Philippines health department is calling Zika a "real and present" risk. They add that warmer, wet weather will likely lead to ideal conditions for mosquitoes to breed.

Words in This Story

symptom – n. a change in the body or mind which indicates that a disease is present

repellant – n. serving or tending to drive away or ward¹¹ off —often used in combination <a mosquito-repellent spray>

contagion – n. the transmission of a disease by direct or indirect contact :  a disease-producing agent (as a virus)

1 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。

2 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

3 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 allergy   

n.(因食物、药物等而引起的)过敏症

参考例句：

• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。
• The patient had an allergy to penicillin.该患者对青霉素过敏。

6 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

7 larvae   

n.幼虫

参考例句：

• Larvae are parasitic on sheep.幼虫寄生在绵羊的身上。
• The larvae prey upon small aphids.这种幼虫以小蚜虫为食。

8 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

9 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。

10 contagion   

n.(通过接触的疾病)传染；蔓延

参考例句：

• A contagion of fear swept through the crowd.一种恐惧感在人群中迅速蔓延开。
• The product contagion effect has numerous implications for marketing managers and retailers.产品传染效应对市场营销管理者和零售商都有很多的启示。

11 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。