2006年VOA标准英语-First Avian Flu Outbreak Hits Africa
时间：2019-01-07 作者：英语课 分类：2006年VOA标准英语（二月）
By John Shields
Washington
10 February 2006
watch Africa Bird Flu report
Chickens for sale in a Lagos market
The World Health Organization says this week's outbreak of the deadly H5N1 avian flu virus in Nigeria demands immediate 1 action and officials are warning the disease could easily spread to neighboring countries.
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Bird farms across Africa's most populous 2 nation have been placed under quarantine following Wednesday's announcement the H5N1 bird flu virus has now reached Nigeria.
Health experts say the outbreak could have staggering consequences for the African nation, where millions of people keep chickens in backyards for badly-needed food.
Alex Thiermann of the World Organization for Animal Health, which works closely with the United Nations, says Africa's first documented case of avian flu is of great concern for the entire continent.
Alex Thiermann
"And it's something the OIC has been saying for awhile, that were the disease to get to Africa - it's a continent where most countries have very weak veterinary infrastructure 3 - the rapidity to which the disease can be fought, and how quickly we can eliminate it, has to do very directly related to the quality of the veterinary infrastructures," he said.
Experts are concerned that sub-Saharan Africa, with about 600 million of the world's poorest people, is particularly ill-equipped to deal with a major health crisis.
They say any mass slaughters 4, such as those used to control the virus in Asia, will be difficult.
Jide Idris
Nigeria's Health Minister, Dr. Jide Idris, says the government is working to contain the problem.
"We're going out now to alert all the health facilities/services to be on the lookout 5 for species with similar symptoms, and then get them geared towards, now get them alerted to, this urgent problem," he said.
Scientists fear H5N1 could mutate into a form that passes easily from person to person, sparking a human influenza 6 pandemic that could kill millions.
As avian flu spreads around the world, more people are exposed to it, increasing the chances of a dangerous mutation 7.
Since 2003, the virus has killed at least 88 people in Southeast Asia, China and Turkey.
- His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
- We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
- 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。
- 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。
- These vast slaughters have since become notorious. 此后，这些大规模的屠杀，就变成了很不光彩的新闻。 来自辞典例句
- Remembered that despairs and hope that each other slaughters. 记得绝望和希望，彼此厮杀。 来自互联网
- You can see everything around from the lookout.从了望台上你可以看清周围的一切。
- It's a bad lookout for the company if interest rates don't come down.如果利率降不下来，公司的前景可就不妙了。
- They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
- Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。