VOA慢速英语2014 狗狗接种疫苗可以消除狂犬病

Mass Vaccination 1 of Dogs Can Eliminate Rabies 狗狗接种疫苗可以消除狂犬病

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health Report.

这里是美国之音慢速英语健康报道。

In the United States, we often say that “dogs are a man’s best friend.” While it is true that dogs are popular pets, it is also true that in some parts of the world, a dog bite can lead to a painful death.

在美国，我们通常说“狗是人类最好的朋友”。确实狗是很流行的宠物，但在世界上一些地方，被狗咬可能会导致很痛苦地死亡。

In fact, about 70,000 people worldwide die every year of rabies. Rabies is a viral infection that people get mainly through dog bites.

事实上，全世界每年有7万多人死于狂犬病，狂犬病是一种病毒性感染病，人主要是通过被狗咬传染上的。

Rabies is uncommon 2 in the West. But in India, and other parts of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, dogs that have not received anti-rabies vaccine 3 continue to threaten public health.

A rabies death is a painful process. After a rabid dog bites someone, the virus invades the person’s central nervous system. Victims develop a severe and irrational 4 fear of water. They convulse, or shake violently. Then they go into a coma 5 and almost always die.

狂犬病在西方很少见，但在印度、亚洲其他地区和撒哈拉南部非洲，没有接受过狂犬疫苗的狗会造成公共健康威胁。死于狂犬病是很痛苦的过程，在患上狂犬病的狗咬了人后，病毒会侵入人的中枢神经系统。受害者会非常害怕水，他们会抽搐，也就是剧烈摇动，然后会昏迷不醒，然后一般会死掉。

However, the rabies virus is not immediately active in the human body. It is usually inactive for at least 10 days after a bite. Sometimes it remains 6 silent for months. This is called an incubation period. During incubation, vaccination can still prevent infection.

Scientists say vaccinating 7 dogs can effectively get rid of rabies outbreaks in dog populations. And this will have a domino effect – vaccinating dogs with rabies means fewer humans with rabies.

然而，狂犬病毒不会立即在人体内活跃起来，通常至少在被咬后10天内不会被激活。有时会保持潜伏数月，这就称作潜伏期，在潜伏期，疫苗仍能预防感染。

But many developing countries do not have dog vaccination systems in place. So, rabies still kills 70,000 people around the world every year. Most victims are children.

科学家说注射过疫苗的狗在狗群中能有效地摆脱库狂犬病爆发的困扰，这会产生多米诺效应，给患上狂犬病的狗注射疫苗意味着更少的人患上狂犬病。

Animal scientists are calling for mass vaccination of dogs as a way to get rid of rabies.

但很多发展中国家仍未建立起狗免疫系统，所以每年全世界仍有7万人死于狂犬病，大多数受害者是儿童。

Dogs in a bicycle basket about to get their rabies vaccination in Tanzania at a clinic run by Dr. Guy Palmer.

动物科学家呼吁进行大规模的狗类免疫，从而摆脱狂犬病。

One example of where this worked very well is in the African country of Tanzania. Public health officials there set up dog vaccination centers in 180 villages. Before the vaccination centers were set up, there were, on average, 50 rabies deaths every year in Tanzania. After the centers began working, that number dropped to nearly zero.

这方面做得好的一个样板是非洲的坦桑尼亚，该国的公共卫生官员在180个村庄建立了狗免疫中心。在这类中心建立起来之前，坦桑尼亚平均每年出现50个狂犬病死亡案例。在免疫中心投入运行后，这个数字降低到几乎为零。

Guy Palmer is director of the School for Global Animal Health at Washington State University. He co-authored the study in Tanzania.

Guy Palmer是华盛顿州立大学全球动物卫生学院主任，他是对坦桑尼亚研究的联合作者。

Mr. Palmer says researchers found that immunizing 70 percent of dogs wiped out rabies as a human threat. 

他说研究者发现将70%的狗免疫就可彻底消除狂犬病对人类的威胁。

“Before that, people had said, ‘Well, the dogs are running wild.’  We’ve shown that, in fact, that’s not true. These dogs tend to have owners, so they are available for vaccination. We can get 70 percent coverage 8.” 

“在此之前，人们说，‘这些狗都是野狗。’我们发现事实上并非如此，这些狗一般都是有主人的，所以它们能获得免疫，我们已经将免疫覆盖到70%的狗。”

Mr. Palmer says 40 percent of those who get rabies from dogs in Africa and Asia are children.

Palmer说，非洲和亚洲那些感染狂犬病的人有40%是儿童。

Mr. Palmer wrote a report on the subject for Science magazine. It says that rabies could be permanently 9 ended within 10 years. The scientists suggest using a method called “One Health.”  The method brings together people doctors and animal doctors, or veterinarians. They immunize dogs against rabies and treat dog-bite victims.

Palmer为《科学》杂志就该课题撰写了一份报告，报告称可以在10年内彻底消灭狂犬病，科学家们建议使用名为“一健康”的方法。该方法将人类医生和兽医召集在一起，他们给狗注射狂犬病疫苗，并给被狗咬的患者提供治疗。

“This is not something that requires 10 to 20 years of basic research to develop a vaccine.  We have a vaccine that works perfectly 10.  It’s really an implementation 11 strategy, and a desire to do so.  And one of the benefits is that any implementation strategy like this strengthens those infrastructures 12 within the most vulnerable communities and countries.”

“并不是需要做10到20年的基础研究来开发一种疫苗，我们有效果很好的疫苗，这是一个实施战略，和愿意这么做的愿望。其中的一个益处就是，这类实施战略加强了最易受害社区和国家的基础设施。”

Mr. Palmer says a successful anti-rabies campaign strengthens medical systems. And this could have a positive domino effect when fighting other deadly diseases, such as Ebola. 

Palmer说成功的抗狂犬病运动能加强医疗系统，在对付如埃博拉等致命疾病时能产生积极的多米诺效应。

Words in this Story

irrational – adj. not thinking clearly; not able to use reason or good judgment 13

convulse – v. to have an experience in which the muscles in your body shake in a sudden, violent way that you are not able to control

coma – n. a state of deep unconsciousness that lasts for a prolonged or indefinite period, caused especially by severe injury or illness

incubation period – n. the period between exposure to an infection and the appearance of the first symptoms

veterinary – adj. relating to the medical care and treatment of animals. A veterinarian is a doctor for animals

domino effect - n. a situation in which one event causes a series of similar events to happen one after another