VOA标准英语2008年-Polio Virus Spreading in 2 Indian States

By Steve Herman
New Delhi
01 January 2008

India remains¹ one of the few countries where polio has not been eradicated². Most of the world's new cases are reported in the subcontinent. While the total number of cases dropped in India last year, VOA correspondent Steve Herman reports from New Delhi that one variant³ of the virus is actually on the increase there.

Although the total number of polio cases fell in India in 2007, those caused by the slower-moving P3 virus are on the rise. P3 is one of three strains of the virus that cause the crippling disease.

Most of the cases are in two states. There were nearly 300 cases traced to the P3 virus in Uttar Pradesh and about 140 in neighboring Bihar last year. That compares to fewer than 30 P3 cases in the two states in 2006.

Dr. Devendra Khander is the coordinator⁴ of the World Health Organization's polio project in Bihar. He explains why it has been difficult to wipe out the highly infectious disease in those two states.

"The combination of factors, that is, highest population density⁵ in India, along with the weak sanitation⁶ - in Bihar the flooding is an additional component⁷ - a huge group of susceptible⁸ children, along with low routine immunization," explained Khander.

Immunization programs in India have focused on the P1 virus, which spreads quickly. The less dangerous P2 strain has been completely eradicated worldwide.

Dr. Khander says, with the decline in P1 cases, the immunization priority will shift to the P3 virus in 2008.

"With this, we should be in a position to finish off the indigenous⁹ transmission in Bihar also," said Khander.

But even India's urban environments have not seen an eradication¹⁰ of polio. Two children were diagnosed with the disease last year in New Delhi, although the parents of both say their children had taken oral doses of the vaccine¹¹. These are the first cases of P3 viral polio in five years in the Indian capital.

Health officials here say they plan to request the national government to implement¹² a special "pulse" immunization campaign in the capital. This would involve a mass, simultaneous immunization targeting children up to five years old.

Polio spreads mainly among young children through contaminated food or water. It is considered to have been wiped out in most of the world, except in Nigeria, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan.

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 eradicated   

画着根的

参考例句：

• Polio has been virtually eradicated in Brazil. 在巴西脊髓灰质炎实际上已经根除。
• The disease has been eradicated from the world. 这种疾病已在全世界得到根除。

3 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

4 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

5 density   

n.密集，密度，浓度

参考例句：

• The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
• The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。

6 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

7 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

8 susceptible   

adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的

参考例句：

• Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
• We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。

9 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

10 eradication   

n.根除

参考例句：

• The eradication of an established infestation is not easy. 根除昆虫蔓延是不容易的。
• This is often required for intelligent control and eradication. 这经常需要灵巧的控制与消除。

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 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。