VOA标准英语2009-Nigeria Records First Swine Flu Death in Sau

Saudi authorities say victim was not vaccinated¹ against infection

Chinedu Offor | Washington DC 23 November 2009

“It’s all talk about it but in terms of seeing what is on the ground, I have not seen much"

A Nigerian pilgrim has died of swine flu in Saudi Arabia, according to Saudi health authorities.  They say the pilgrim, a woman, was not vaccinated against H1N1 before arriving for the Hajj.

But the head of the Nigerian National Hajj Commission denies there has been a death.  Ten Nigerians have been quarantined and no one has died, he says. The only recorded swine flu case in Nigeria is that of a nine year old American girl, says Health Minister Dr. Babatunde Osetimehin.

Dr. Lateef Olopenia is chief of infectious diseases at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. He talks about H1N1 in Nigeria and what’s being done about it.

“I know the minister of health has been making some pronouncement in terms of making individuals to be aware of the potential of this virus.  In terms of vaccination², I cannot tell you exactly what the federal government is doing,” he says.

But Olopenia says the Nigerian public has not been adequately informed about the dangers of the disease.

“Unfortunately…talking to people on the ground, I don’t have the impression that they know the nature of this virus and also the major problem that  can be associated with it, because I talked to several people and they don’t know what the swine flu virus is.”

Nigeria also lacks the facilities and personnel to cope with a major swine flu epidemic³, says Olopenia.

“It’s all talk about it but in terms of seeing what is on the ground, I have not seen much.  They are making effort, but what is that effort translating to, I can’t really tell.  But from what I have seen, there is some talk, but beyond the talk, I have not seen a lot of infrastructure⁴.”

1 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

2 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

3 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。

4 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。