VOA健康报道2022--如何预防猴痘

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How to Protect against Monkeypox

The fast-spreading monkeypox virus led the World Health Organization (WHO) to declare a "public health emergency of international concern" this month.

WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement, "the outbreak has continued to grow, and there are now more than 16 thousand reported cases from 75 countries and territories, and five deaths."

He added: "We have an outbreak that has spread... through new modes of transmission, about which we understand too little."

In recent years, the health agency has issued such declarations on COVID-19, Ebola, and the Zika viruses.

How dangerous is monkeypox?

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that monkeypox is part of the same virus family as smallpox¹.

Monkeypox was first discovered in 1958 among groups of monkeys used for research. The first human case of monkeypox was recorded in 1970. The virus spreads mainly through close contact with an infected person.

Until this year, the viral disease has rarely spread outside Africa. But reports of new cases in Europe and other places signaled that the outbreak had spread around the world.

Monkeypox symptoms are similar to smallpox but milder. Most patients only experience fever, aches, and tiredness. Some may develop a rash with cuts on their face and hands that can spread to other parts of the body. The sickness usually lasts two to four weeks.

The virus can spread from person to person through direct contact with the infectious rash, sex with an infected person or contact with their clothes or bedding. A pregnant woman can also pass the virus to her fetus².

Unlike the SARS-CoV-2 virus that caused the COVID-19 pandemic, monkeypox does not spread easily over the air.

Anyone can spread the virus, but the current outbreak outside of Africa appeared to spread mainly among men who have sex with men.

Why is it an emergency?

Health officials from several countries urged the WHO to declare monkeypox a public health emergency as the disease spread quickly in the past month.

From June to July, the WHO reported that cases of monkeypox had increased from 3,040 to more than 16,000. The number of countries with infections have also gone up from 47 to 75.

Officials were especially concerned that the disease has spread quickly among people who did not travel to Africa where the disease is endemic. That means it has become permanently³ established in an area.

The emergency declaration usually brings more resources and action to deal with the outbreak. It also pushes countries to work together on testing and producing vaccines⁵ and treatments for the disease.

For now, the WHO said the risk of monkeypox is "moderate" around the world, except in Europe where it listed the risk as "high."

How to protect yourself

CDC health officials advise that people should avoid close, skin-to-skin contact with people who have a rash that looks like monkeypox. They say:

Do not touch, hug, kiss or have sex with someone with monkeypox.

Do not share utensils⁷ for eating or drinking

Do not touch bedding or clothing of an infected person.

And wash hands often with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.

In Central and West Africa, the CDC says people should avoid contact with animals that can spread the monkeypox virus, such as monkeys and rodents⁸. And they should also avoid sick or dead animals.

At this time, health officials are still learning whether children and people with existing health problems are more at risk of the disease.

Treatment

If you are sick with monkeypox, health officials say you should remain isolated⁹.

There is no cure for monkeypox. However, the CDC says monkeypox and smallpox viruses are genetically¹⁰ similar, which means that antiviral drugs and vaccines developed to protect against smallpox may be used to prevent and treat monkeypox virus infections.

U.S. and European health officials say antivirals, such as tecovirimat, may be given to people who are more likely to get severely¹¹ sick. That group includes patients with weakened immune systems.

Health officials in Europe and the U.S. have also recently announced that they will send out monkeypox vaccines to affected¹² communities. The two-shot vaccine⁴ is being manufactured at Bavarian Nordic's plant in Denmark.

Words in This Story

mode –n. a particular way something is done

transmission - n. the process by which something is spread

fever –n. a body temperature that is higher than normal

ache - n. a pain that is not sharp but continues for a long time

rash –n. red spots on the skin that are caused by an infection or a reaction to some substance

utensil⁶ - n. device used at home or kitchen

sanitizer - n. things used to make something free from infection, disease

isolated - adj. separated from others

1 smallpox   

n.天花

参考例句：

• In 1742 he suffered a fatal attack of smallpox.1742年，他染上了致命的天花。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child?你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

2 fetus   

n.胎，胎儿

参考例句：

• In the fetus,blood cells are formed in different sites at different ages.胎儿的血细胞在不同时期生成在不同的部位。
• No one knows why a fetus is not automatically rejected by the mother's immune system. 没有人知道为什么母亲的免疫系统不会自动排斥胎儿。

3 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

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 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

6 utensil   

n.器皿，用具

参考例句：

• The best carving utensil is a long, sharp, flexible knife.最好的雕刻工具是锋利而柔韧的长刻刀。
• Wok is a very common cooking utensil in every Chinese family.炒菜锅是每个中国人家庭里很常用的厨房食用具。

7 utensils   

器具，用具，器皿( utensil的名词复数 )； 器物

参考例句：

• Formerly most of our household utensils were made of brass. 以前我们家庭用的器皿多数是用黄铜做的。
• Some utensils were in a state of decay when they were unearthed. 有些器皿在出土时已经残破。

8 rodents   

n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Rodents carry diseases and are generally regarded as pests. 啮齿目动物传播疾病，常被当作害虫对待。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some wild rodents in Africa also harbor the virus. 在非洲，有些野生啮齿动物也是储毒者。 来自辞典例句

9 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

10 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

11 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

12 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。