一些科學(xué)家說他們希望這次疫情會是比較輕微的一次.這難道不是自相矛盾的說法嗎?
不是.所有的疫情都是嚴重的,但是并不一定都有高死亡率.一種病可以在不殺死很多人的情況下仍可稱為大流行病,這種就是這里所說的輕微.
1968-1969年的流感疫情就是人們一般認為的輕微的歷史事件.那次疫病在全球殺死了估計一百萬人--這比平常的季節(jié)性流感導(dǎo)致的25萬至50萬的死亡人數(shù)要多出很多.但是,比起在西班牙1918-1919年的流感疫病殺死的5000萬相比,還是少很多.
Some scientists say they’re hoping for a “mild pandemic”. Isn’t this a contradiction in terms?
No. All pandemics are serious, but they do not necessarily have to feature very high levels of mortality. A disease can fulfil all the criteria of a pandemic without killing very large numbers of people — that is what is meant here by “mild”.
The 1968-9 flu pandemic is an example of a past event that is generally considered to be mild. It killed an estimated 1 million people worldwide — many more than the usual annual death toll for seasonal flu of 250,000 to 500,000, but many fewer than the 50 million who are thought to have died in the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-19.
同是疫病威脅,豬流感與禽流感相比如何?
H1NI 豬流感病毒比H5N1禽流感病毒更具傳播性--禽流感病毒尚不能在人之間傳染.但是H5N1的毒性更強.WHO的數(shù)據(jù)表明,到目前為止,在421個被感染者中,有257人死亡--死亡率達61%.如果將來它的傳播性更強,那所導(dǎo)致的疫情會相當遭.
How does swine flu compare with avian flu as a pandemic threat?
The H1N1 swine flu virus is much more readily transmissible than the H5N1 avian virus — the latter has not yet developed the ability to pass readily from person to person. However, H5N1 is much more virulent. WHO figures show it has killed 257 of the 421 people infected so far — a case fatality rate of 61 per cent. If it were to become more transmissible, the resulting pandemic would almost certainly be a lot worse.
對病毒的研究是否為研究其毒性提供了一些線索?
有.早期的適應(yīng)癥鼓舞人心.最初的分析表明,豬流感感染呼吸道的上部,這一部分往往是受到一些毒性相對不強的病毒侵襲.同時,豬流感病毒也缺少一種蛋白質(zhì),這種蛋白質(zhì)能觸發(fā)叫做細胞因子風(fēng)暴的極限免疫系統(tǒng).這常常是導(dǎo)致像1918年攜帶高致病性的病病毒患者死亡的原因.
Have studies of the virus offered any clues to virulence?
Yes. Early indications are encouraging. Preliminary analysis suggests that it infects the upper part of the airway, which is generally a hallmark of less virulent viruses. It also appears to lack a protein that is involved in triggering extreme immune system responses known as cytokine storms, which are often the cause of death with highly pathogenic flu viruses such as the 1918 strain.
不是.所有的疫情都是嚴重的,但是并不一定都有高死亡率.一種病可以在不殺死很多人的情況下仍可稱為大流行病,這種就是這里所說的輕微.
1968-1969年的流感疫情就是人們一般認為的輕微的歷史事件.那次疫病在全球殺死了估計一百萬人--這比平常的季節(jié)性流感導(dǎo)致的25萬至50萬的死亡人數(shù)要多出很多.但是,比起在西班牙1918-1919年的流感疫病殺死的5000萬相比,還是少很多.
Some scientists say they’re hoping for a “mild pandemic”. Isn’t this a contradiction in terms?
No. All pandemics are serious, but they do not necessarily have to feature very high levels of mortality. A disease can fulfil all the criteria of a pandemic without killing very large numbers of people — that is what is meant here by “mild”.
The 1968-9 flu pandemic is an example of a past event that is generally considered to be mild. It killed an estimated 1 million people worldwide — many more than the usual annual death toll for seasonal flu of 250,000 to 500,000, but many fewer than the 50 million who are thought to have died in the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-19.
同是疫病威脅,豬流感與禽流感相比如何?
H1NI 豬流感病毒比H5N1禽流感病毒更具傳播性--禽流感病毒尚不能在人之間傳染.但是H5N1的毒性更強.WHO的數(shù)據(jù)表明,到目前為止,在421個被感染者中,有257人死亡--死亡率達61%.如果將來它的傳播性更強,那所導(dǎo)致的疫情會相當遭.
How does swine flu compare with avian flu as a pandemic threat?
The H1N1 swine flu virus is much more readily transmissible than the H5N1 avian virus — the latter has not yet developed the ability to pass readily from person to person. However, H5N1 is much more virulent. WHO figures show it has killed 257 of the 421 people infected so far — a case fatality rate of 61 per cent. If it were to become more transmissible, the resulting pandemic would almost certainly be a lot worse.
對病毒的研究是否為研究其毒性提供了一些線索?
有.早期的適應(yīng)癥鼓舞人心.最初的分析表明,豬流感感染呼吸道的上部,這一部分往往是受到一些毒性相對不強的病毒侵襲.同時,豬流感病毒也缺少一種蛋白質(zhì),這種蛋白質(zhì)能觸發(fā)叫做細胞因子風(fēng)暴的極限免疫系統(tǒng).這常常是導(dǎo)致像1918年攜帶高致病性的病病毒患者死亡的原因.
Have studies of the virus offered any clues to virulence?
Yes. Early indications are encouraging. Preliminary analysis suggests that it infects the upper part of the airway, which is generally a hallmark of less virulent viruses. It also appears to lack a protein that is involved in triggering extreme immune system responses known as cytokine storms, which are often the cause of death with highly pathogenic flu viruses such as the 1918 strain.