美国国家公共电台 NPR--Monkeypox likely isn't much of a threat to the public, a White House official says

Monkeypox likely isn't much of a threat to the public, a White House official says

Transcript¹

The risk posed to the U.S. general public from ongoing² outbreaks of monkeypox cases reported in Europe, the U.K. and Canada is low, a White House official told Morning Edition on Monday.

Dr. Raj Panjabi, Senior Director for Global Health Security and Biodefense at the National Security Council, says the fewer than 10 cases seen in the United States so far have not been severe — "flu-like symptoms and a rash which can be painful but resolves in two to four weeks" — and aren't likely to get much worse.

"Historically in countries with weaker health care systems less than 1% of patients have died from this milder strain," Panjabi said. "We have access to vaccines³ and even treatments here in the U.S., and so the risk we believe is substantially lower."

In dozens of cases from other U.S. outbreaks over the past 20 years, all patients fully⁴ recovered, he said.

So far in the U.S., one case of monkeypox has been confirmed in Massachusetts. A few more are suspected in New York, Florida and Utah, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The cases all involve people who have recently travelled abroad.

"We're in the early days of this response," said Capt. Jennifer McQuiston, deputy director of the CDC's division of high consequence pathogens and pathology, at a briefing. "It's likely that there are going to be additional cases reported in the United States."

The virus usually spreads from person to person through sustained, skin-to-skin contact with someone with rashes or lesions.

"What we're talking about here is close contact. It's not a situation where if you're passing someone in the grocery store, they're going to be at risk for monkeypox," McQuiston said.

And while anyone can contract or spread the virus, health officials say many of the people affected⁵ identify as gay or bisexual men.

"Monkeypox appears to be circulating globally in parts of the gay community," says Dr. John Brooks⁶, medical epidemiologist with the CDC's division of HIV prevention.

In the recent cases, Brooks says the rash "is showing up in different parts of the body than we'd typically expect to see it," in some cases in the genital area. He wants health care providers to be aware that people coming in for a sexually transmitted disease evaluation⁷ may need to be checked for monkeypox, if there's been an exposure.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

3 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

6 brooks   

n.小溪( brook的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Brooks gave the business when Haas caught him with his watch. 哈斯抓到偷他的手表的布鲁克斯时，狠狠地揍了他一顿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ade and Brooks exchanged blows yesterday and they were severely punished today. 艾德和布鲁克斯昨天打起来了，今天他们受到严厉的惩罚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 evaluation   

n.估价，评价；赋值

参考例句：

• I attempted an honest evaluation of my own life.我试图如实地评价我自己的一生。
• The new scheme is still under evaluation.新方案还在评估阶段。