VOA常速英语2007年-FAO Says Rift Valley Fever Could Spread

By Derek Kilner
Nairobi
23 November 2007

The Food and Agriculture Organization has cautioned that an outbreak of Rift¹ Valley Fever in Sudan could spread rapidly in coming weeks due to the widespread movement of livestock² in preparation for the Muslim holiday Eid Al-Idha. Derek Kilner reports from VOA's East Africa bureau in Nairobi.

An outbreak of Rift Valley Fever that emerged in Sudan in late October has continued to spread in recent weeks. On Thursday, the World Health Organization announced that at least 451 people have now been infected by the disease in Sudan, and 164 have died.

Humans most commonly contract the disease by coming into contact with contaminated animal blood, often through slaughtering³ livestock or veterinary operations including animal births. The disease can also be transmitted through mosquito bites, though this is more common for transmission between animals.

While a human vaccine⁴ has been developed, it has not been approved for public use.

The Sudanese government has established a task force to respond to the outbreak, with support from the World Health Organization. In a statement on Thursday, the WHO called for increased public awareness⁵ efforts by local media, and community and religious leaders, to warn of the risks of coming into contact with contaminated animals and to provide advice on safe methods of handling livestock.

The director of medical services for Kenya's Ministry⁶ of Health, Dr. James Nyikal, tells VOA that a public awareness campaign was central in Kenya's containment⁷ of an outbreak earlier this year.

"The main strategy was one, to vaccinate⁸ around the epicenter, so you create a zone that is disease free, and the other one was public information on action that people need to take so that they do not get affected⁹ and this included avoiding meats and meat products and handling of meats and milk, and we had a massive public health education," he said.

Outbreaks of Rift Valley Fever have been reported periodically in East Africa. Outbreaks were reported earlier this year in Kenya, Tanzania and Somalia.

The outbreak in Sudan has been concentrated in the states of White Nile, Sennar and Gazeera. The FAO is concerned that with the approach of the Eid al-Adha holiday on December 20, during which Muslims often sacrifice an animal, the increased movement of livestock could spread the disease.

Egypt and Saudi Arabia have banned imports of livestock from Sudan, according to the FAO. And authorities in Ethiopia, which borders Sennar state, have announced that they have taken measures to prevent the disease spreading across the border.

1 rift   

n.裂口，隙缝，切口；v.裂开，割开，渗入

参考例句：

• He was anxious to mend the rift between the two men.他急于弥合这两个人之间的裂痕。
• The sun appeared through a rift in the clouds.太阳从云层间隙中冒出来。

2 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

3 slaughtering   

v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The Revolutionary Tribunal went to work, and a steady slaughtering began. 革命法庭投入工作，持续不断的大屠杀开始了。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史
• \"Isn't it terrific slaughtering pigs? “宰猪的！ 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

4 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。

5 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 containment   

n.阻止，遏制；容量

参考例句：

• Your list might include such things as cost containment,quality,or customer satisfaction.你的清单上应列有诸如成本控制、产品质量、客户满意程度等内容。
• Insularity and self-containment,it is argued,go hand in hand.他们争论说，心胸狭窄和自我封闭是并存的。

8 vaccinate   

vt.给…接种疫苗；种牛痘

参考例句：

• Local health officials then can plan the best times to vaccinate people.这样，当地的卫生官员就可以安排最佳时间给人们接种疫苗。
• Doctors vaccinate us so that we do not catch smallpox.医生给我们打预防针使我们不会得天花。

9 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。