密歇根新闻广播 密歇根出现黑死病,可是这次没什么可怕得了!

Bubonic plague has found its way to Michigan.

The so-called "Black Death" killed anywhere from 75 million up to 200 million people in Europe and the Middle East throughout the 14th century.

We're talking between 30% and 60% of Europe's total population. People who seemed healthy when they went to bed at night could be dead by morning.

That's why news of Michigan's first documented case of bubonic plague caught many by surprise.

Dr. Eden Wells is Michigan's chief medical executive, and she rushes to assure us that we have little cause for concern.

"This is actually one of the least contagious¹. It is not a contagious form of the plague," she says.

Wells tells us the CDC receives around half a dozen cases of plague in the U.S. each year, but they're usually all in the western half of the country.

She suspects that the patient contracted the plague while hiking through Colorado.

To further allay² our fears, Wells explains that the plague in this form is not contagious and can be treated with antibiotics³.

She tells us that the patient is doing well.

Dr. Eden Wells teaches us more about the bubonic plague and its history in our conversation above.

1 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

2 allay   

v.消除，减轻(恐惧、怀疑等)

参考例句：

• The police tried to allay her fears but failed.警察力图减轻她的恐惧，但是没有收到什么效果。
• They are trying to allay public fears about the spread of the disease.他们正竭力减轻公众对这种疾病传播的恐惧。

3 antibiotics   

n.（用作复数）抗生素；（用作单数）抗生物质的研究；抗生素，抗菌素( antibiotic的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the discovery of antibiotics in the 20th century 20世纪抗生素的发现
• The doctor gave me a prescription for antibiotics. 医生给我开了抗生素。