VOA慢速英语2016 巴基斯坦电话服务热线预测登革热疫情（在线收听）

AS IT IS 2016-07-18 Telephone Hotline in Pakistan Predicts Dengue Outbreaks 巴基斯坦电话服务热线预测登革热疫情

A telephone helpline is aiding public health officials in Pakistan to predict dengue fever outbreaks.

电话服务热线致力于帮助巴基斯坦公共卫生官员预测登革热的爆发。

Dengue is a disease carried by mosquitoes.It affects people who live in hot and humid climates of the world, according to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

登革热是一种蚊虫携带的疾病。它会影响到世界上生活在高温潮湿气候地区的人们，据明尼苏达州罗切斯市的梅奥诊所报道。

Dengue causes sudden high fever, headaches and severe joint and muscle pain.There is no cure or vaccine for dengue fever.

登革热会造成突发性高温、头痛、严重的关节痛和肌肉痛。目前还没有治疗方案或疫苗。

An estimated 400,000 people are infected with dengue each year.Worldwide, an estimated 2.5 billion people are at risk of getting the disease.

据估计，每年有40万人感染登革热。从世界范围来看，大约25亿人面临感染登革热的危险。

Pakistan is making some progress in controlling dengue.

巴基斯坦在控制登革热方面有所进展。

Researchers have created a computer process that uses helpline reports from the public.

研究人员发明了一种电脑程序，这种程序使用热线服务电话报告。

The information is used to help forecast the number of cases. Public health officials then take measures to limit the effects of dengue on a community.For example, public health workers can get rid of high populations of mosquitoes.

报告信息用来预测病例的数量。公共卫生官员便可采取措施限制登革热对社区造成的影响。比如，公共卫生官员解散蚊虫地区的密集人群。

Lakshmi Subramanian is a teacher of mathematical sciences at New York University. He said the computer process is accurate.

拉克希米·苏博纳玛尼亚是纽约大学的数理科学老师。他表示，电脑程序是很精准的。

He said, “The computer is actually giving you the exact range. And that is more powerful than, ’Oh, I think an outbreak is going to happen or an outbreak is not going to happen.’”

他称，“事实上，电脑会给你精确的范围。电脑要比人自己说疾病是否会发作更有说服力”。

He added that an outbreak can be traced to neighborhoods and blocks where they started.

他还补充到，疾病开始出现地区的邻居或街坊可能是其发作的来源。

The helpline has been in operation for about five years.

热线服务电话已经运营五年了。

The Pakistani province of Punjab was hit by a severe outbreak of dengue in 2011.More than 21,000 people were infected and 350 people died.

2011年，巴基斯坦的旁遮普省爆发了严重的登革热疫情。疾病造成超过21000人感染，350人丧生。

Hospitals in Punjab were unprepared and crowded with patients.

旁遮普省的医院措手不及，医院人满为患。

Since then, researchers in the United States and Pakistan developed the helpline. Almost 300,000 people have called the service with questions about the symptoms of dengue. They also report areas where mosquitoes are living.

从那时起，美国和巴基斯坦的研究员研制出了热线服务电话。几乎有30万人打电话询问登革热的症状。他们还会报告蚊虫生活的地区。

Experts say the system is not costly. They say that in 2013 the number of dengue cases in the city of Lahore fell to 1,600 using information from the helpline and disease prevention efforts.

专家称，这项程序并不昂贵。他们称，2013年拉合尔的登革热病例下降到1600例，原因在于热线服务电话提供的信息，疾病预防做出的努力。

Words in This Story

helpline – n. a telephone service that offers help or information

dengue fever – n. a viral disease of the tropics, transmitted by mosquitoes and causing sudden fever and pain in the joints.

mosquito – n. a small flying insect that bites the skin of people and animals and sucks their blood

headache – n. an ache or pain in the head

forecast – v. to say that something will happen in the future

trace – v. to follow something back to its cause