2007年VOA标准英语-Doctors Change Diagnosis of American Man with T

By Carol Pearson
Washington, D.C.
05 July 2007
 

An American man who traveled internationally with tuberculosis¹ - despite instructions not to - has a new diagnosis² and is not as sick as government doctors initially³ said he was. As VOA's Carol Pearson reports, the new diagnosis comes as a huge relief to the patient, his family and to everyone he came in contact with.

Tuberculosis, as seen in a microscope

Andrew Speaker has been quarantined since returning to the United States. His latest tests show he has multi-drug-resistant⁴ tuberculosis instead of extensively drug resistant TB. The new diagnosis means his TB is treatable with drugs.

Dr. Charles Daley made the announcement from the National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver, Colorado, where Speaker is being quarantined.  "For Mr. Speaker, we now have a regimen that is more potent,” says Daley. “And, therefore, we believe his prognosis is better."

Speaker and his fiancée traveled to Europe for their wedding and honeymoon⁵ even though doctors were concerned he might spread his disease.

When he returned to the United States, tests by government doctors showed he had extensively drug resistant tuberculosis, meaning surgically⁶ removing part of his infected lung was a treatment option. The new results have changed that, not only for Speaker, but for anyone who may have contracted the disease from him.

Dr. Charles Daley

"If someone has become infected by Mr. Speaker, we hope that has not happened, but if it was to happen, we now have some drugs available to try to treat them and prevent them from developing TB," says Dr. Daley.

Dr. Mitchell Cohen, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says the CDC stands by its decision to quarantine Speaker.

Andrew Speaker with his wife Sarah

"The public health actions that CDC took in this case and are continuing to take are sound and appropriate," says Cohen.

Dr. Cohen explained it is possible to have different types of TB in one sample and in one patient. He also said the CDC's sample could have been contaminated.

Andrew Speaker said he was relieved with the new diagnosis. He said government health officials need to apologize for creating an international panic and for the chilling effect it had on him and his family.

1 tuberculosis   

n.结核病，肺结核

参考例句：

• People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
• Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。

2 diagnosis   

n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断

参考例句：

• His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。

3 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

4 resistant   

adj.(to)抵抗的，有抵抗力的

参考例句：

• Many pests are resistant to the insecticide.许多害虫对这种杀虫剂有抵抗力。
• They imposed their government by force on the resistant population.他们以武力把自己的统治强加在持反抗态度的人民头上。

5 honeymoon   

n.蜜月（假期）；vi.度蜜月

参考例句：

• While on honeymoon in Bali,she learned to scuba dive.她在巴厘岛度蜜月时学会了带水肺潜水。
• The happy pair are leaving for their honeymoon.这幸福的一对就要去度蜜月了。

6 surgically   

adv. 外科手术上, 外科手术一般地

参考例句：

• Unsightly moles can be removed surgically. 不雅观的痣可以手术去除。
• To bypass this impediment an almost mature egg cell is removed surgically. 为了克服这一障碍，通过手术，取出一个差不多成熟的卵细胞。