VOA常速英语2008年-Congo's Southeastern Cholera Epidemic Grows

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
14 February 2008

Aid workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo are expressing concern that a cholera¹ epidemic² in the southeastern mining region is getting worse, despite attention to the problem.  About 100 people have died since the outbreak began in September in a region experiencing a population boom.  VOA's Nico Colombant reports from our West and Central Africa bureau in Dakar.

Francois Dumont from the Belgium chapter of Doctors without Borders says the overall number of cases in this cholera outbreak in Katanga province now tops 4,000.

The two hardest hit cities are the provincial³ capital Lubumbashi and mineral-rich Likasi.  The rural area of Bukama has also been affected⁴.

Dumont says the number of new victims is still going up on a weekly basis.

"We noted⁵ again an increase of the number of patients in both Lubumbashi and Likasi," he said.  "That means we have not reached the epidemic peak yet so that is quite worrying.  Even if now we are able to cope with a big number of patients, the increase in the number of patients in our treatment centers, we have to respond much more now on the causes of this outbreak, which are mainly access to water and hygiene⁶ conditions."

Cholera is a waterborne disease, which causes sudden and serious diarrhea that can lead to death by severe dehydration⁷ and kidney failure.

This cholera outbreak coincides with a population surge in Katanga, as post-war mining accelerates.

Dumont says poor residential⁸ areas are especially dangerous.

"For example, in Likasi, it is the Kikula neighborhood and 90 percent more or less of the cases of cholera come from this neighborhood," he added.  "This neighborhood is very poor.  People live in extremely poor conditions."

Dumont explains cholera spreads mostly during the rainy season.

"They have little access to safe water," he noted.  "People take water in water sewers⁹ that are contaminated by the waste, by latrines, mainly because of the rainy season, so it is important now to provide safe water to these people."

If identified and there is access to treatment, cholera is easy to get rid of.  The World Health Organization states on its website that the prompt administration of oral rehydration salts to replace lost fluids nearly always results in a cure.

Left untreated cholera can kill quickly, in as little as 24 hours.  Aid workers have set up treatment centers in Lubumbashi, Likasi and Bukama, but fear the epidemic could spread to other cities and towns.

1 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

2 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

3 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 hygiene   

n.健康法，卫生学 （a.hygienic）

参考例句：

• Their course of study includes elementary hygiene and medical theory.他们的课程包括基础卫生学和医疗知识。
• He's going to give us a lecture on public hygiene.他要给我们作关于公共卫生方面的报告。

7 dehydration   

n.脱水，干燥

参考例句：

• He died from severe dehydration.他死于严重脱水。
• The eyes are often retracted from dehydration.眼睛常因脱水而凹陷。

8 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

9 sewers   

n.阴沟，污水管，下水道( sewer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sewers discharge out at sea. 下水道的污水排入海里。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Another municipal waste problem is street runoff into storm sewers. 有关都市废水的另外一个问题是进入雨水沟的街道雨水。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法