Millions Infected with Dengue as Temperature Rises

Millions Infected with Dengue as Temperature Rises

随着气温上升，数百万人感染登革热

【听力音频】

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　　By Dan Novak

　　25 December 2023

　　The disease dengue is spreading across the Western Hemisphere in numbers not seen since record-keeping began in 1980. Experts are warning that rising temperatures and growing cities are increasing the rate of infection.

　　More than 4 million cases have been reported throughout the Americas and the Caribbean so far this year, breaking a record set in 2019. Officials from the Bahamas to Brazil are warning of crowded health centers and new infections daily. Reports say there have been more than 2,000 deaths across the wide area.

　　Thais dos Santos is with the Pan American Health Organization, the area office of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Americas. She said diseases like dengue, "provide us a really good sentinel of what is happening with climate change."

　　A lack of good sanitation and strong health systems have added to the rise in cases. But experts say droughts and floods linked to climate change are causing greater spread of the virus. That is because stored water and heavy rains appeal to mosquitoes.

　　Dr. Gabriela Paz-Bailey is chief of the dengue branch for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Puerto Rico. She noted that higher temperatures also are expanding the mosquito's habitat and helping the virus develop faster inside the mosquito. That leads to higher viral loads and a higher chance of transmission.

　　This year's Northern Hemisphere summer was the hottest ever, with August about 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial period averages. And Copernicus, the European climate service, reported that 2023 is the second hottest year on record.

　　Worldwide, more than 4.5 million cases of dengue had been reported as of early November. There have been more than 4,000 deaths reported in 80 countries.

　　Countries like Bangladesh are seeing a record number of cases and deaths. The government in the South Asian country has reported more than 313,700 cases and more than 1,600 deaths. Most of the deaths happened within three days of hospitalization.

　　The mosquito that carries dengue also has been identified in 22 European countries, with local spread of the disease seen in France, Italy and Spain. In August, the central African country of Chad reported its first dengue outbreak in history.

　　Dengue affects some 129 countries, with roughly half the world's population at risk, says the WHO. Infected female mosquitoes pass the virus when they feed on animals. The sickness can cause severe headaches, fever, vomiting, rash and other signs. While most infected people do not get symptoms, severe cases can lead to plasma leakage and death.

　　What is worse, experts say, repeated infections means a higher risk of developing severe dengue.

　　The Caribbean also is battling an increase in cases. The area had reported a 15 percent increase in confirmed cases by early October compared with the same period last year, says the Caribbean Public Health Agency.

　　Officials on the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique declared an epidemic in August that is still ongoing. Martinique is reporting an average of 800 cases a week on the island of some 394,000 people.

　　Meanwhile, Jamaica and the Bahamas declared an outbreak in September followed by Barbados in October.

　　Poor countries struggle the most with dengue. Bad sanitation creates a good reproduction environment for infected mosquitoes. Poor housing conditions leave people at greater risk of exposure to mosquitoes. Dengue outbreaks can crush already poor and overworked health systems.

　　Jeremy Farra is chief scientist for the WHO. He said dengue is very difficult to treat partly because patients often delay in seeking medical care. The virus can progress so quickly, he said. Treating those with the disease requires very close patient supervision and a lot of time.

　　Farra said, "Imagine that you have a thousand people like that requiring all that delicate clinical care. It can very quickly overwhelm a system."

　　I'm Dan Novak.

　　Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting The Associated Press.

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　　由Dan Novak撰写

　　2023年12月25日

　　自1980年开始记录以来，登革热疾病在西半球的传播数量达到了前所未有的程度。专家警告说，气温上升和城市的扩大正在加快感染率。

　　到今年为止，整个美洲和加勒比地区已经报告了超过400万例病例，打破了2019年设定的记录。从巴哈马到巴西的官员们都在警告说，卫生中心人满为患，每天都有新的感染病例。报道称，整个广大地区已经有超过2000人死亡。

　　Thais dos Santos是泛美卫生组织的成员，这是世界卫生组织（WHO）在美洲的区域办事处。她说，像登革热这样的疾病，“为我们提供了一个非常好的哨兵，告诉我们气候变化正在发生什么。”

　　良好的卫生条件和强大的卫生系统的缺乏加剧了病例的增加。但专家表示，与气候变化相关的干旱和洪水正在导致病毒的更大范围传播。这是因为储存的水和大雨吸引了蚊子。

　　Gabriela Paz-Bailey博士是美国疾病控制和预防中心在波多黎各的登革热分支的负责人。她指出，更高的温度也在扩大蚊子的栖息地，并帮助病毒在蚊子体内更快地发展。这导致了更高的病毒载量和更高的传播机会。

　　今年北半球的夏季是有史以来最热的，八月份的温度比工业化前的平均温度高出约1.5摄氏度。欧洲气候服务机构Copernicus报告说，2023年是有记录以来第二热的一年。

　　截至11月初，全球已报告超过450万例登革热病例。在80个国家，已报告超过4000人死亡。

　　像孟加拉国这样的国家正在看到病例和死亡人数的记录数量。这个南亚国家的政府已经报告了超过313,700例病例和超过1600人死亡。大多数死亡在住院三天内发生。

　　携带登革热的蚊子也已在22个欧洲国家被发现，法国、意大利和西班牙都出现了疾病的本地传播。今年8月，中非国家乍得报告了历史上的首次登革热爆发。

　　世界卫生组织表示，登革热影响了大约129个国家，大约一半的世界人口处于风险之中。感染的雌性蚊子在取食动物时传播病毒。这种疾病可以引起严重的头痛、发热、呕吐、皮疹和其他症状。虽然大多数被感染的人没有症状，但严重的病例可以导致血浆泄漏和死亡。

　　更糟糕的是，专家说，反复感染意味着发展为严重登革热的风险更高。

　　加勒比地区也在与病例增加的情况作斗争。加勒比公共卫生机构表示，到10月初，该地区报告的确诊病例比去年同期增加了15%。

　　法属加勒比岛屿瓜德罗普和马提尼克的官员在8月份宣布了一场仍在进行的流行病。马提尼克报告说，这个拥有约394,000人口的岛屿每周平均有800例病例。

　　与此同时，牙买加和巴哈马在9月份宣布爆发登革热，紧随其后的是10月份的巴巴多斯。

　　贫穷的国家最难以应对登革热。糟糕的卫生状况为感染的蚊子提供了良好的繁殖环境。糟糕的住房条件使人们更容易接触到蚊子。登革热的爆发可以压垮已经贫穷和超负荷运转的卫生系统。

　　杰里米·法拉是世界卫生组织的首席科学家。他说，登革热很难治疗，部分原因是患者常常在寻求医疗护理时拖延。他说，这种病毒可以进展得非常快。治疗这种疾病需要非常密切的病人监护和大量的时间。

　　法拉说："想象一下，如果你有一千个这样的病人需要所有那些精细的临床护理，它可以很快地压垮一个系统。"

　　我是丹·诺瓦克。

　　丹·诺瓦克根据美联社的报道为美国之音学英语改编了这个故事。

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　　这个故事中的词汇：

　　sentinel — n. 有时候用于比喻

　　drought — n. 长时间几乎没有或没有雨水的时期

　　pre-industrial — adj.指工业化之前的时期

　　plasma — n. 包含血细胞的血液的水分部分

　　delicate — adj. 容易破损或受损