VOA慢速英语--季节性出水痘是不是一种过敏反应？

AS IT IS 2016-06-19 Is Chickenpox Seasonal¹ Like Allergies²? 季节性出水痘是不是一种过敏反应？

You might remember getting chickenpox as a child or even as an adult.

The virus is best known for its red rash, blisters³ and itching⁴. It also causes tiredness and fever.

Because chickenpox is contagious⁵, siblings⁶ or students in the same classroom often spread the virus to one another. But researchers have found that the chickenpox virus may actually be a seasonal disease: Cases are discovered most often in the spring.

The study was published in the Proceedings⁷ of the National Academy of Sciences.

To investigate trends in chickenpox cases, researchers turned to the search engine Google. They looked at Google searches from 36 countries on five continents over an 11-year period, then confirmed their findings with clinical cases.

Previously⁸, researchers have used Google to estimate and research rates of influenza⁹.

Kevin Bakker is the lead author of the chickenpox study and a graduate student at the University of Michigan. He said countries that required a nationwide vaccination¹⁰ for chickenpox also saw a decrease in the number of Googles searches for “chickenpox.”

Dr. William Schaffner is an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. He was not involved in the study, but he said the findings may be especially useful.

Schaffner thinks information will help in countries where the chickenpox vaccine¹¹ is not common.

In the United States, chickenpox vaccinations¹² began in 1996. Since then, the number of chickenpox cases declined by 92 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The same virus that causes chickenpox can also cause a medical condition called shingles¹³.

Words in This Story

chickenpox – n. a disease that often affects children and that causes a fever and red spots on the skin

rash – n. a group of red spots on the skin that is caused by an illness or a reaction to something

blisters – n. raised areas on the skin that contain clear liquid and that are caused by injury to the skin

influenza – n. a common illness that is caused by a virus and that causes fever, weakness, severe aches and pains and breathing problems

shingles – n. a disease that causes pain and red marks on your skin along the path of a nerve

1 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

2 allergies   

n.[医]过敏症；[口]厌恶，反感；（对食物、花粉、虫咬等的）过敏症( allergy的名词复数 )；变态反应，变应性

参考例句：

• Food allergies can result in an enormous variety of different symptoms. 食物过敏会引发很多不同的症状。 来自辞典例句
• Let us, however, examine one of the most common allergies; hayfever. 现在让我们来看看最常见的变态反应的一种--枯草热。 来自辞典例句

3 blisters   

n.水疱( blister的名词复数 )；水肿；气泡

参考例句：

• My new shoes have made blisters on my heels. 我的新鞋把我的脚跟磨起泡了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His new shoes raised blisters on his feet. 他的新鞋把他的脚磨起了水疱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 itching   

adj.贪得的，痒的，渴望的v.发痒( itch的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The itching was almost more than he could stand. 他痒得几乎忍不住了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• My nose is itching. 我的鼻子发痒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

6 siblings   

n.兄弟，姐妹( sibling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A triplet sleeps amongst its two siblings. 一个三胞胎睡在其两个同胞之间。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She has no way of tracking the donor or her half-siblings down. 她没办法找到那个捐精者或她的兄弟姐妹。 来自时文部分

7 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

8 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

9 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• 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。

10 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

11 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

12 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 shingles   

n.带状疱疹；（布满海边的）小圆石( shingle的名词复数 )；屋顶板；木瓦（板）；墙面板

参考例句：

• Shingles are often dipped in creosote. 屋顶板常浸涂木焦油。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The roofs had shingles missing. 一些屋顶板不见了。 来自辞典例句