世卫组织关心寨卡病毒在东南亚的传播

AS IT IS 2016-09-12 WHO Concerned About Zika’s Spread in Southeast Asia 世卫组织关心寨卡病毒在东南亚的传播

The World Health Organization is increasingly concerned about the spread of the Zika virus in Southeast Asia.

The United Nations organization is worried the virus, which is carried by mosquitos, could affect local populations in the area.

Roderico Ofrin is the WHO regional emergencies director for Southeast Asia. He said countries need to carry out, in his words, “effective surveillance and reporting systems” to closely observe the disease’s spread.

“WHO is working with countries across the South East Asia region to continue to prevent, detectand respond to Zika virus transmission,” Ofrin said in an email to VOA.

He said the plan to deal with the disease places importance on limiting the spread of the disease and strengthening Zika virus and birth-defect surveillance.

He added that increasing the abilities of laboratories to test for the disease and increasing communication with communities were also important.

What is Zika?

Zika is blamed for causing the birth defect microcephaly, which can cause babies to be born with unusually small heads and possible brain damage.

So far, South America has suffered the most from the Zika virus. Brazil has reported hundreds of cases of microcephaly since the outbreak started there in 2015.

Now, the medical journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases has identified China, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand as high-risk countries.

The medical publication also said that Africa south of the Sahara Desert faced increased risk because of its historical ties with Brazil.

It warned that an estimated 2.6 billion people live in places where conditions for the spread of the virus exist. Pregnant women are most at risk.

Health officials say the virus also is spread through sexual contact, blood transfusions¹ and from mother to child.

The Zika virus also has been linked to nerve damage that can result in weakened muscles and paralysis² known as Guillain-Barre syndrome³.

Zika in Southeast Asia

Southeast Asian governments have increased efforts to find evidence of the virus.

They have also sprayed chemicals in places where mosquitos breed.

However, Singapore has reported more than 240 cases. Malaysia and Thailand also have reported cases of infection, and the United States, Britain, Australia and Taiwan have given travel warnings for pregnant women.

Singapore’s Ministry⁴ of Health and National Environment Agency reported that the Zika virus affecting its community came from Asia. It said it did not come from Brazil.

Local news agencies in Thailand reported comments of a top official in the ministry of Public Health’s Department of Disease Control. The official said Zika has not become a serious outbreak in the country.

However, Thai Public Health Ministry officials say two women in the San Sai district of the city of Chiang Mai are being closely watched.

Words in This Story

surveillance –n. carefully watching something or someone

detect –v. to discover or notice the presence of something

transmission –n. medical, passing an infection from one to another

1 transfusions   

n.输血( transfusion的名词复数 )；输液；倾注；渗透

参考例句：

• Still, transfusions have apparently never spread the disease, even among hemophiliacs. 还有，输血很明显从未传播过这种病，即使在血友病人之间也是如此。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 口蹄疫疯牛病
• Blood transfusions are a special, limited example of tissue transplantation. 输血是一个特殊的、有限制的组织移植的例子。 来自辞典例句

2 paralysis   

n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症)

参考例句：

• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。

3 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

4 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。