HEALTH REPORT - India Begins AIDS Vaccine Study / Unusual AI

HEALTH REPORT - India Begins AIDS Vaccine¹ Study / Unusual AIDS Case in New York
By Cynthia Kirk

Broadcast: Wednesday, February 23, 2005

I'm Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English Health Report.

India is carrying out its first testing in humans of a vaccine to prevent infection with the virus that causes AIDS.

Thirty people will be injected with an experimental vaccine at the National AIDS Research Institute in the western city of Pune. This first part of the clinical trial will take about fifteen months. The purpose is mainly to test safety.

India has at least five million people with H.I.V. That is the second largest number after South Africa.

Human immunodeficiency virus, or H.I.V., suppresses² the immune³ system. People become open to deadly infections as they develop AIDS. The United Nations says AIDS caused more than three million deaths last year.

There are different forms of H.I.V., and different groupings within each subtype. The vaccine being tested is designed to fight subtype C. That is responsible for the most AIDS infections worldwide. Scientists say the biggest problem in developing a vaccine is that the virus continually changes.

Researchers at Targeted Genetics in Seattle, Washington, and Columbus Children's Research Institute in Ohio developed the vaccine. The International AIDS Vaccine Initiative⁴ is involved as well. Testing is also being done in Germany and Belgium.

An estimated forty million people are living with H.I.V. Experts say there are fourteen thousand new infections each day. The virus is carried in blood and other body fluids.

People often do not know they have become infected. This is why, in the United States, some health experts recently suggested that almost all Americans get tested, not just those at high risk. They say this would lead to early treatment for more people and save money.

H.I.V. takes an average of about ten years to develop into AIDS. Antiretroviral drugs usually can slow the progress. But health officials in New York City recently reported about a man believed to have been infected last October. By December he had AIDS. The virus resisted most treatments.

Officials say the man had unprotected sex with other men. He also used crystal methamphetamine. Experts say this illegal drug may weaken the immune system.

Some experts say the man's immunity⁵ or drug use could explain the aggressive spread of his infection. They say it is too early to know if this case involves a new kind of H.I.V.

This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Cynthia Kirk. I'm Gwen Outen.

1 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。

2 suppresses   

抑制（感情等）( suppress的第三人称单数 )； 压制； 禁止发表； 阻止…的生长（或发展）

参考例句：

• The regime ruthlessly suppresses all dissent. 这个政权残酷压制所有不同意见。
• Hemingway suppresses emtion, Wolfe engulfs the reader in feeling. 海明威感情压抑，沃尔夫却把读者卷进感情的漩涡。

3 immune   

adj.免疫的，有免疫力的，不受影响的，免除的

参考例句：

• I am immune from the disease,for I had it once.我对这病有免疫力，因为我已得过一次了。
• Be immune from corruption.拒腐蚀，永不沾。

4 initiative   

n.主动性，首创精神，主动权（的行动），倡议

参考例句：

• He went to see the headmaster on his own initiative.他主动去看望校长。
• His employer had described him as lacking in initiative and drive.雇主说他缺乏进取心和干劲。

5 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。