A file photo of celebrities wearing black leggings. Health authorities in Thailand are urging young women not to wear fashionable black leggings to avoid attracting unwanted attention from dengue-carrying mosquitoes. |
Health authorities in Thailand are urging young women not to wear fashionable black leggings to avoid attracting unwanted attention from dengue-carrying mosquitoes. "It's worrying how people dress nowadays, especially the youth," Deputy Health Minister Pansiri Kulanartsiri said in a statement issued Sunday, which warned of a dengue outbreak and reminded that mosquitoes are attracted to dark clothing. Thailand has recorded 43 deaths and more than 45,000 cases of dengue in the first seven months of the year, an increase of about 40 percent from the 31,929 cases and 30 deaths in same period last year. Dengue cases typically rise during the rainy season, which runs roughly from June through September. Of this year's fatalities, 26 were between the ages of 10 and 24, prompting the Public Health Ministry to warn about the hazards of the must-have fashion item worn by girls and young women. "I suggest people avoid wearing black leggings - or any dark colored clothing - so as not to attract mosquitoes," Pansiri said, calling the leggings a "Korean fashion phenomenon." "Wear thick clothing like jeans, particularly during this period," Pansiri said, noting mosquitoes can bite through thin clothing. Scientists fear rising temperatures and longer rainy seasons will allow more vector-borne diseases such as dengue and malaria to flourish. In tropical Thailand, mosquitoes can lay up to 400 larvae at one time in vases, flower pots, jugs and litter-strewn areas that can serve as breeding grounds, but authorities find it difficult to destroy dengue-breeding habitats, he said. "This is an epidemic year for dengue fever," Anuttarasakdi said. "But what is more worrying is that people are aloof when it comes to prevention." (Read by Renee Haines. Renee Haines is a journalist at the China Daily Web site.) (Agencies) |
泰国卫生部门敦促年轻女性不要穿时髦的黑色紧身裤,以免招来携带登革热病毒的蚊子的叮咬。 泰国卫生部副部长潘希里·库拉那特斯瑞在上周日发布的一份声明中说:“如今人们的穿着打扮令人担忧,尤其是年轻人的穿着。”该声明发出了有关登革热疫情爆发的警告,并提醒人们蚊子喜欢深色的衣服。 今年前七个月,泰国共发生43例登革热死亡病例,患病人数超过4.5万人,相比去年同期的30例和31929例增加了近40%。登革热一般在每年六月至九月的雨季流行。 在今年的死亡病例中,有26人的年龄在10岁至24岁之间。泰国公共卫生部因此对这种为年轻女性所钟爱的时髦服饰所存在的健康风险发出了警告。 潘希里说:“我建议大家不要穿黑色紧身裤,或者其它深色的衣服,以免招蚊子咬。”他将这种“黑色紧身裤”称为“韩流”。 他说:“大家最好穿像牛仔裤那样厚一点的衣服,尤其在这段时间。”他说质地较薄的衣服抗不住蚊子的叮咬。 科学家担心不断上升的气温和持续的雨季会导致登革热、疟疾等更多病媒传染疾病的流行。 潘希里说,泰国地处热带,蚊子可在花瓶、花盆、水壶、以及垃圾堆等滋生地一次产下400枚卵。但相关部门发现很难摧毁这些可滋生登革热病毒的蚊虫栖息地。 阿努塔拉萨迪说:“今年登革热非常流行,但更让人担心的是,大家对疾病的预防漠不关心。” 相关阅读 (中国日报网英语点津 Julie 编辑蔡姗姗) |
Vocabulary: legging: a covering for the leg, usually extending from the ankle to the knee but sometimes higher(紧身裤,细腿毛线裤) unwanted: undesirable, not wanted(不受欢迎的,有害的) dengue: an infectious, eruptive fever of warm climates, usually epidemic, characterized esp. by severe pains in the joints and muscles(登革热,一种传染病,骨关节及肌肉奇痛) vector-borne: 病媒传染的疾病,vector指的是传染疾病的媒介,载体 litter-strewn: 垃圾遍地的 aloof: reserved or reticent; indifferent; disinterested(冷淡的,漠不关心的) |