新奇事件簿 肺结核潜伏多年卷土重来（在线收听）

Many diseases that doctors thought had almost disappeared are now making a comeback. Britain's National Health Service (NHS) has reported a serious rise in the number of people with diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), cholera, measles and whooping cough. An NHS spokesperson said that TB is now more common in England than it is in less developed countries such as Rwanda, Iraq, and Guatemala. Tuberculosis is also increasing across the globe. In 2013, it killed 1.5 million people worldwide, and that number is rising. Tuberculosis largely affects very poor people. It is an infectious disease that affects the lungs. Its symptoms include bad coughs, fever, weight loss and sweating.

据医生所说，许多早已“销声匿迹”的疾病又卷土重来。根据英国国民健康服务报告，肺结核、霍乱、麻疹以及百日咳发病数呈上升趋势。国民健康服务发言人表示，与一些如卢旺达、伊拉克以及危地马拉等欠发达国家相比，英格兰的肺结核更为普遍。全球的肺结核患病率也呈上升趋势。2013年，全球有1500万人死于肺结核，这一数字还在上升。该疾病对贫穷人口的影响更为深远。肺结核是一种传染性肺病。症状有咳嗽、高烧、体重减轻以及盗汗等。

Researchers say that many of the diseases that are making a comeback are both preventable and treatable. One big problem in England is that TB is affecting old people who have malnutrition they do not have enough to eat. The number of elderly who have to go without food has doubled in the past three years. This is putting these old people in greater danger of getting TB. A UK doctor said she did not understand why society wasn't doing more to fight TB. She said: "Malnutrition is preventable. It is totally unacceptable that there are at least one million older people malnourished or at risk of malnourishment." She said there needed to be a bigger focus on better nutrition and proper medicine.

研究人员表示，虽然它们卷土重来，但却完全可以防治。但由于食物供给不足，许多老年人营养不良，更易肺结核侵扰，这是英格兰面临的大问题。过去三年间，老年人食物短缺数量翻番。老年人患肺结核风险加大。英国某医生表示，她对社会没有有效防控肺结核感到不解。她表示：“营养不良完全可以避免。但至少有100万老年人营养不良，或是存在营养不良危险，这我完全不能接受。”她认为政府需要改善国民营养水平，提高医疗水平。