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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
By Melinda Smith
Washington, D.C.
19 February 2007
watch Norovirus report
It can be called stomach flu, food poisoning or acute gastroenteritis. Medical experts call it the Norovirus, and this family of viruses causes diarrhea, nausea1, vomiting2 and other flu-like symptoms. As VOA's Melinda Smith explains, it can strike victims anywhere from a fancy cruise ship to a squalid refugee camp.
A microscopic3 view of Norovirus
The Norovirus does not discriminate4. It can afflict5 those who are destitute6 and those who are rich. Hundreds of passengers on the Queen Elizabeth Two luxury liner recently learned that lesson the hard way. Arthur Woodstone was one of the tourists who experienced the agony of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping7 and fever: "I was one of the martyrs8. Twenty four hours in my cabin in luxury."
It can occur in any location where people are grouped together, eating the same food, touching9 the same things and coming in contact with someone already infected.
Norovirus is one of the most common causes of infection and diarrhea. It has been with humans for ages. So why is there so much attention now?
Marc-Alain Widdowson of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has one theory. "What we think may be happening is that there is a new strain of Norovirus to which people have not been exposed before."
Dr. William Schaffner
Vanderbilt University's chief of preventive medicine, Dr. William Schaffner, thinks a rapid diagnosis10 of more than one type of the Norovirus can only be done in a sophisticated laboratory. "There is a particular Norovirus strain that is more apt to make you sick. It's more virulent11, we call it, and that virus is circulating rather abundantly and so that also probably contributes to why we're seeing more Norovirus disease than we have in the past."
Norovirus has afflicted12 people in at least 17 U.S. states in recent months. Patients in hospitals and nursing homes are especially vulnerable because of their weakened immune systems.
Dr. Schaffner says all it takes is one health care worker or visitor from the outside to introduce the virus. "Be alert to anyone in the facility who develops a diarrheal illness, and then to confine them, to try to isolate13 them and care for them in a very hygienic way so they don't have the opportunity to spread it to others."
Frequent washing of hands is considered an effective way of limiting the spread of the virus
When masses of people were evacuated14 from New Orleans, Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, health officials braced15 for a possible spread of the Norovirus. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers were given to refugees to prevent the virus from spreading. Health officials caution mothers to be especially careful when changing diapers of young children.
There is no available vaccine16 to stop the Norovirus. Dr. Schaffner says the best prevention is simple handwashing with warm water and soap. "Now I'm mindful of the fact that around the world people have varying access to clean water and indeed to such simple implements17 as soap. But when that's available, that's a very, very effective way of interrupting transmission because our hands are what bring the virus to our mouths very, very often."
So what does he suggest, if there is no WARM water? "It's the rubbing and spending some time, so the more you do that, the less likely you are to acquire Norovirus, influenza18 and lots of other infectious diseases."
It can take up to a week to recover from a Norovirus. Health experts recommend the patient start out with small amounts of fluids mixed with a little bit of sugar and salt to restore the equilibrium19. Gradually increase those fluids until the patient feels better. Then spread the message of good hygiene20 to others.
1 nausea | |
n.作呕,恶心;极端的憎恶(或厌恶) | |
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2 vomiting | |
吐 | |
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3 microscopic | |
adj.微小的,细微的,极小的,显微的 | |
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4 discriminate | |
v.区别,辨别,区分;有区别地对待 | |
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5 afflict | |
vt.使身体或精神受痛苦,折磨 | |
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6 destitute | |
adj.缺乏的;穷困的 | |
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7 cramping | |
图像压缩 | |
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8 martyrs | |
n.martyr的复数形式;烈士( martyr的名词复数 );殉道者;殉教者;乞怜者(向人诉苦以博取同情) | |
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9 touching | |
adj.动人的,使人感伤的 | |
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10 diagnosis | |
n.诊断,诊断结果,调查分析,判断 | |
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11 virulent | |
adj.有毒的,有恶意的,充满敌意的 | |
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12 afflicted | |
使受痛苦,折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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13 isolate | |
vt.使孤立,隔离 | |
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14 evacuated | |
撤退者的 | |
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15 braced | |
adj.拉牢的v.支住( brace的过去式和过去分词 );撑牢;使自己站稳;振作起来 | |
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16 vaccine | |
n.牛痘苗,疫苗;adj.牛痘的,疫苗的 | |
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17 implements | |
n.工具( implement的名词复数 );家具;手段;[法律]履行(契约等)v.实现( implement的第三人称单数 );执行;贯彻;使生效 | |
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18 influenza | |
n.流行性感冒,流感 | |
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19 equilibrium | |
n.平衡,均衡,相称,均势,平静 | |
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20 hygiene | |
n.健康法,卫生学 (a.hygienic) | |
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