“寨卡病毒”为全球突发公共卫生事件

世界卫生组织1日召开紧急会议，宣布寨卡病毒的爆发和传播已经构成全球突发公共卫生事件，呼吁国际社会联手应对。

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan holds a news conference after the first meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee concerning the Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations in Geneva, Switzerland, February 1, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

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The World Health Organization on Monday declared the mosquito-borne Zika virus to be an international public health emergency as the disease linked to thousands of birth defects in Brazil spreads rapidly.
2月1日，世界卫生组织宣布由蚊媒传播的寨卡病毒为全球突发公共卫生事件，该病毒已在巴西快速传播，造成了成千上万的婴儿出现出生缺陷。

世卫组织统计，截至目前，美洲、非洲等已有超过20个国家报告出现寨卡病毒传播。疫情最严重的是巴西、哥伦比亚等美洲国家。

What is Zika virus, and how is it spread?
什么是寨卡病毒？它是如何传播的？

Zika is a tropical disease, like yellow fever and dengue. It is spread to people through mosquito bites, not person to person. The aggressive yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, has spread most Zika cases. Although the virus is normally spread by mosquitoes, there has been one report of possible spread through blood transfusion and one of possible spread through sex.
寨卡病毒是一种热带病，类似于黄热病和登革热。它是通过蚊子叮咬传播给人的，并不是在人与人之间传播。大部分感染案例是通过黄热病蚊媒——埃及伊蚊传播的。尽管该病毒通常是通过蚊媒传播，但是也出现了可能通过输血和性行为传播的案例。

What are the symptoms of Zika virus?
寨卡病毒有哪些症状？

About one in five people who are infected with Zika virus will develop symptoms, the most common of which are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis, or redness in the eyes. Other symptoms are muscle pain and headache. It’s usually a mild disease lasting a few days or a week, and rarely requires hospitalization.
寨卡病毒的感染者中，只有1/5的感染者会出现症状，最常见的症状有发热、皮疹、关节痛和结膜炎或者眼睛红肿。其它症状还包括肌肉疼痛和头痛。它通常只会引起一些轻微的病症，持续几天或一周，很少需要住院。

Where is Zika an issue?
寨卡病毒疫情严重的地区有哪些？

As the virus spreads from Brazil, other countries in the Americas are also likely to see cases of babies with Zika-linked birth defects, experts believe. The Pan American Health Organization says that Zika has now spread in 24 nations and territories in the Americas.
寨卡病毒从巴西传播开来，专家表示，美洲的其他国家也可能会出现婴儿患有出生缺陷与寨卡病毒相关的案例。泛美卫生组织表示，寨卡病毒已经在美洲24个国家和地区传播。

What risk does Zika pose to pregnant women?
寨卡病毒对孕妇有什么风险？

There is strong evidence of a link between the Zika virus and a birth defect called microcephaly in which babies are born with undersized brains and skulls, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
据疾病控制和预防中心介绍，有确凿的证据表明寨卡病毒与婴儿小头畸形出生缺陷有联系。患有小头畸形的婴儿出生时的大脑和头骨很小。

How can I protect myself from infection?
怎样保护自己不受感染？

There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika. Do everything you can to protect yourself from mosquito bites.
目前没有对抗寨卡病毒的疫苗和治疗方法。尽你所能保护自己免受蚊子叮咬。

（中国日报网英语点津 刘秀红）