新研究表明:塞卡病毒或影响成人大脑

AS IT IS 2016-08-25 Zika Could Affect Adult Brains, Says New Study 新研究表明:塞卡病毒或影响成人大脑

New research suggests the Zika virus may damage some cells in adult brains.

Until now, scientists mainly worried about Zika’s effects on the brains of babies whose mothers were infected with the virus during pregnancy¹.

The Rockefeller University and La Jolla Institute for Allergy² and Immunology carried out the new research. The findings were published last week in the Cell Stem Cell journal.

The research suggests the Zika virus could infect some kinds of adult cells. These cells are considered important to learning and memory.

“This is the first study looking at the effect of Zika infection on the adult brain,” says Joseph Gleeson. He is a professor at Rockefeller University and head of the Laboratory of Pediatric Brain Disease. Gleeson says, “Based on our findings, getting infected with Zika as an adult may not be as innocuous as people think.”

By innocuous, Gleeson means not seeming to have a harmful effect.

In their study, the researchers examined cells in mice.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, the Zika virus is spread mostly by a bite from an infected mosquito.

Zika can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus³, the CDC said. It said infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects.

Gleeson, the Rockefeller University professor, says most adults seem able to overcome the harmful effects of Zika. But, he said people with compromised immune systems could face problems.

An immune system protects a person from disease and infection.

The major worry, Gleeson says, is that Zika could affect long-term memory in some adults. However, he adds that “a lot more research” is needed.

Sujan Shresta is a professor at the La Jolla Institute of Allergy and Immunology.

She notes that most adults infected with Zika do not show any health problems.

Shresta said the effects on adult brain cells may not be as clear as the effects on babies infected with the Zika virus.

Shresta said, thanks to the new research, health officials now know “what to look for.”

Words in This Story

mice –n. a very small animal that has a pointed⁴ nose and a long, thin tail

certain – adj. used to refer to a quality that is noticed but that is difficult to explain or describe

birth defects – n. a disability or medical problem that a baby is born with

compromised – adj. damaged or weakened

1 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

2 allergy   

n.(因食物、药物等而引起的)过敏症

参考例句：

• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。
• The patient had an allergy to penicillin.该患者对青霉素过敏。

3 fetus   

n.胎，胎儿

参考例句：

• In the fetus,blood cells are formed in different sites at different ages.胎儿的血细胞在不同时期生成在不同的部位。
• No one knows why a fetus is not automatically rejected by the mother's immune system. 没有人知道为什么母亲的免疫系统不会自动排斥胎儿。

4 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。