VOA标准英语2009-India Reacts Calmly to Flu Pandemic Alert

India's government health officials say despite the designation of a global pandemic for the H1N1 virus there is no cause for alarm in the world's second most populous¹ country. India has confirmed 16 cases of swine flu in humans and there have been no reported fatalities².
　
People suspected to be infected with swine flu wait for tests at Government Chest Hospital in Hyderabad, India, 07 Jun 2009

Health officials are trying to assure the more than one billion people in India they are doing all they can to minimize the threat from the H1N1 virus, known as swine flu.

There has been no evidence of an outbreak cluster, so far, in India. Government health officials say all confirmed cases of the virus in the country originated from the United States.

Joint³ Health Secretary Vineet Choudhary tells reporters even though the World Health Organization has declared a global pandemic, raising its alert to the maximum level, India need not be alarmed.

"There is no need to panic, certainly because the WHO has based this pandemic at Phase 6," he said. "There is need to take action. We have been taking preparatory steps and the government has put into position all mechanisms⁴ that are required to tackle with an outbreak that may spread in the community."

Officials say rapid response teams of health personnel have been placed into position in seven cities around the country so they can quickly respond to any additional cases. Sixteen new laboratories are being set up in addition to two existing facilities.

Health Secretary Choudhary also says the country's stockpile of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu is sufficient with 10 million doses procured⁵.

"We have given an emergency stockpile to each state so in case a patient is detected he can be straightaway put on treatment by the state government without waiting for supplies to be sent from Delhi or elsewhere," he said.

India has banned sales of Tamiflu in the open market to prevent people taking it as a preventative measure. That could allow the virus to develop a resistance to the drug. But media reports say Tamiflu is being sold under the counter by some pharmacists at inflated⁶ prices.

The Health Ministry⁷ plans to install thermal⁸ scanners at the Delhi international airport to detect incoming passengers with fever. The government also wants any travelers with symptoms of the flu to avoid coming to India.

1 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

2 fatalities   

n.恶性事故( fatality的名词复数 )；死亡；致命性；命运

参考例句：

• Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. 有几个人受伤，但没有人死亡。
• The accident resulted in fatalities. 那宗意外道致多人死亡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 procured   

v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条

参考例句：

• These cars are to be procured through open tender. 这些汽车要用公开招标的办法购买。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• A friend procured a position in the bank for my big brother. 一位朋友为我哥哥谋得了一个银行的职位。 来自《用法词典》

6 inflated   

adj.（价格）飞涨的；（通货）膨胀的；言过其实的；充了气的v.使充气（于轮胎、气球等）( inflate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）膨胀；（使）通货膨胀；物价上涨

参考例句：

• He has an inflated sense of his own importance. 他自视过高。
• They all seem to take an inflated view of their collective identity. 他们对自己的集体身份似乎都持有一种夸大的看法。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 thermal   

adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的

参考例句：

• They will build another thermal power station.他们要另外建一座热能发电站。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。