VOA慢速英语20060218a

IN THE NEWS - Trying to Contain the Spread of Bird FluBy Nancy Steinbach

Broadcast: Saturday, February 18, 2006

I'm Steve Ember with IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

More countries found the h-five-n-one virus in birds this week. Cases of the deadly virus in chickens and turkeys in Egypt led to an emergency cabinet¹ meeting on Friday.

Earlier in the week, health officials found the virus in additional² countries in Europe. Tests showed dead wild swans to be infected in Austria, Bulgaria Germany, Greece, Italy and Slovenia.


Officials collect chickens in October to fight an outbreak of avian flu in Kiziksa village, in western Turkey

European Union health officials held a two-day meeting in Brussels to discuss the situation.

Experts are concerned that the animal virus could mix with a human virus and spread worldwide. So far, health officials say the virus has spread to most human victims directly from infected birds.

The World Health Organization reported one hundred sixty-nine laboratory-confirmed cases as of February thirteenth. These have been since the end of two thousand three. Ninety-one of the people have died. Most were in Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. There have been at least eight deaths in China, four each in Turkey and Cambodia and one in Iraq.

The virus was confirmed in Africa for the first time earlier this month. It was found in Nigeria. Scientists are not sure how it got there. Some think it reached Nigeria through trade in farm animals. They say the virus would have appeared in other African nations by now if wild birds had carried it there.

On Friday the Food and Agriculture Organization expressed growing concern that the virus may spread to other countries in West Africa. The United Nations agency³ said the country of greatest concern is Niger, which borders the affected⁴ areas in Nigeria.

The virus quickly kills birds. The F.A.O. says two million people in Niger are already at risk of severe hunger.

The agency's chief animal health officer urged African farmers to immediately report any suspected outbreaks. He warned of the risk that poor farmers might act quickly to sell birds on the market.

Asian economic losses from bird flu have been estimated⁵ at about ten thousand million dollars since the end of two thousand three. The F.A.O. says almost two hundred million poultry⁶ birds have died or been killed to contain the spread of the virus.

To reduce the risk of infection, the agency says people should wash their hands after they touch poultry. They should also disinfect their shoes before they enter or leave a poultry farm. Poultry birds should be kept in structures with a roof to keep out wild birds. And chickens should be kept separate from ducks and other kinds of birds.

Health experts say people should not touch wild birds, live or dead.

The World Health Organization says heat can kill the virus in food. It says all parts of the meat must be cooked to seventy degrees Celsius⁷. And it says eggs should also be cooked fully⁸, until the yolk⁹ is firm.

IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English was written by Nancy Steinbach. Read and listen to our reports on the Web at www.unsv.com. I'm Steve Ember.

1 cabinet   

n.内阁，内阁会议；(带玻璃门存物品的)橱柜

参考例句：

• I keep my collection of old china in the cabinet.我把古瓷器收藏品存放在橱子里。
• He had held many important offices in the French cabinet.他在法国内阁中任过许多重要职务。

2 additional   

adj.添加的，额外的，另外的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to set down these additional rules.有必要制定这些补充规则。
• I think we can fit in an additional room.我想我们可以再加建一间房子。

3 agency   

n.经办；代理；代理处

参考例句：

• This disease is spread through the agency of insects.这种疾病是通过昆虫媒介传播的。
• He spoke in the person of Xinhua News Agency.他代表新华社讲话。

4 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。

5 estimated   

adj．根据估计的

参考例句：

• She estimated the breadth of the lake to be 500 metres. 她估计湖面大约有500米宽。
• The man estimated for the repair of the car. 那人估算了修理汽车的费用。

6 poultry   

n.家禽，禽肉

参考例句：

• There is not much poultry in the shops. 商店里禽肉不太多。
• What do you feed the poultry on? 你们用什么饲料喂养家禽?

7 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

8 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。

9 yolk   

n.蛋黄，卵黄

参考例句：

• This dish would be more delicious with some yolk powder.加点蛋黄粉，这道菜就会更好吃。
• Egg yolk serves as the emulsifying agent in salad dressing.在色拉调味时，蛋黄能作为乳化剂。