|
The coronavirus is killing thousands and commanding government attention across Latin America. 新型冠状病毒正在寺去成千上万人的生命,并引起整个拉丁美洲政府的关注。 But another deadly viral infection remains a problem for the region: dengue. 但另一种致命的病毒感染仍然是该地区的一个问题：登革热。 Dengue,which is spread by mosquitoes,has been called "breakbone fever" for the severe physical pain it causes. 登革热由蚊子传播，引起严重的身体疼痛，因而被称为“断骨热”。 Doctors and health officials are concerned about the effect of COVID-19, the breathing disorder caused by the virus, on Latin American countries. 医生和卫生官员担心新型冠状病毒肺炎引起的呼吸障碍对拉丁美洲国家造成影响。 They say COVID-19's arrival has pulled attention and resources away from the fighta gainst dengue. 他们说，新型冠状病毒肺炎的爆发转移了人们対抗击登革热的注意力和资源。 The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) expects 2020 to be marked by high rates of dengue across the region. 泛美卫生组织预计，2020年该地区的登革热发病率将居高不下。 Around the world, COVID-19 has affected other diseases in different ways. 在世界各地，新型冠状病毒肺炎以不同的方式影响着其他疾病。 In Europe, measures to stop the coronavirus have banished seasonal influenza. 在欧洲，防控冠状病毒的措施消除了季节性流感。 But in Africa, border closures have stopped transportation of measles vaccines and other supplies. 但是在非洲，边境的关闭阻止了麻疹疫苗和其他物资的运输。 In Latin America,a dengue epidemic that started in late 2018 is still present. 在拉丁美洲,始于2018年末的登革热流行病仍然存在。 Dengue infections in the region rose sharply to an all-time high of 3.1 million in 2019, with over 1,500 deaths in Latin America and the Caribbean. 2019年， 该区域的登革热感染人数急剧上升至历史最高水平，达310万, 拉丁美洲和加勒比地区死亡人数超过1500人。 That information comes from PAHO. 这些信息来自泛美卫生组织。 Cases of the disease should begin to decrease in the second half of 2020, the organization said. 该组织称，到2020年下半年，登革热的病例数应该会开始减少。 Dengue epidemics usually happen every three to five years and with four strains of dengue in existence, people may catch it more than once. 登革热大流行通常毎三到五年发生一次， 由于存在四种登革热毒株，人们可能会不止一次地感染登革热。 Second cases are more likely to be severe. 二次感染的病例可能会更严重。 "COVID-19 is the star right now, so all of the attention is being put on COVID-19," said Jaime Gomez. “新型冠状病毒肺炎现在是关注的焦点，所以所有的注意力都放在了新型冠状病毒肺炎身上, "杰米·戈麦斯说。 "But there are still problems with dengue." “但是登革热问题仍然存在。” He is a doctor and works at a hospital in Floridablanca, in Colombia's Santander province. 他是一名医生,在哥伦比亚桑坦徳省弗洛里达布兰卡的一家医院工作。 Dengue is not usually deadly and can be treated with painkillers. 登革热通常不会致命，可以用止痛药治疗。 But some sufferers deal with long-term problems like tiredness, weight loss, and depression. 但是有些患者会长期受到疲劳、体重减轻和抑郁等问题的困扰。 And these things affect their ability to work. 这些都会影响他们的工作能力。 Severe dengue is treated with intravenous fluids and those who do not get tested are at risk of dangerous health problems. 严重的登革热需要通过静脉输液治疗，而那些未经检査的人有面临严重健康问题的危险。 Such treatments cannot be given if patients stay home, worried about getting the coronavirus, or if crowded hospitals cannot take dengue patients. 如果患者呆在家里，担心感染冠状病毒，或者医院人满为患，无法接收登革热患者，就无法迸行这样的治疗。 There are not many cases of COVID-19 in the part of Colombia where Gomez works. 在戈麦斯工作的哥伦比亚地区，新型冠状病毒肺炎病例并不多。 He told Reuters news agency he had seen hospitalizations decrease by half, as people were fearful of going outdoors. 他告诉路透社，由于人们害怕出门，他发现住院人数减少了一半。 Sonia Fernandez is a lawyer from Paraguay. 索尼娅.费尔南德斯是巴拉圭的一名律师。 She avoided seeking medical care when she and her two daughters, ages 11 and 8, got sick with dengue at the beginning of April. 她和自己11岁和8岁的两个女儿在4月初感染登革热后,她一直避免就医。 Fernandez wanted to avoid individuals with COVID-19, she said. 费尔南德斯表示，她希望避免接触新型冠状病毒肺炎患者。 All three have since recovered. 她们三人都已康复。 Dengue cases in Paraguay have sharply risen this year. 巴拉圭的登革热病例今年急剧上升。 In the first 18 weeks of 2020, the country reported more than 40,000 confirmed cases and more than 60 deaths. 在2020年的前18周，该国报告了超过4万例确诊病例和超过60例死亡病例。 That is compared to under 400 confirmed cases and six deaths during the same periodin 2019. 相比之下，2019年同期确诊病例不足400例，死亡6例。 In Ecuador, the coronavirus outbreak has hit hard. 在厄瓜多尔，冠状病毒的爆发使当地受到了沉重打击。 Hospitals in Guayaquil, the largest city, are full. 最大城市瓜亚基尔的医院已经爆满。 The number of dengue cases has dropped nationwide, but this could cover up other issues. 全国登革热病例数量有所下降，但这可能掩盖了其他问题。 Ecuador's health ministry notes that dengue cases were highest at close to 900 in the week ending March 14. 厄瓜多尔卫生部指出，在截至3月14日的一周内， 登革热病例达到峰值，接近900例。 That is two weeks after the country confirmed its first case of COVID-19. 这发生在该国确诊首例新型冠状病毒肺炎病例两周后。 For the week of April 4, they fell to around 250. 4月4日当周，这一数字降到了250例左右。 Esteban Ortiz is an international health researcher at the University of the Americas in Quito. 埃斯特班.奥尓蒂斯是基多美洲大学的国际卫生研究员。 He says dengue cases are being under-reported. 他称登革热的实际病例数量被低估了。 "Cases haven't decreased, the diagnosis of cases has decreased, which confirms the system has totally collapsed," he said. “病例并没有减少，病例的诊断减少了，证明系统已经完全崩溃了。”他表示。 Ecuador's health ministry said that the country was no more exposed to the double effects of COVID-19 and dengue than any other Latin American country. 厄瓜多尔卫生部表示，该国受新型冠状病毒肺炎和登革热双重影响的程度并不比其他任何拉美国家高。 It added it has the supplies it needs to treat cases of dengue. 并补充称，本国拥有治疗登革热病例所需的物资。 Dengue has also increased sharply in Central America. 中美洲的登革热病例也急剧増加。 In Costa Rica,cases have risen nearly 200 percent through May 1, compared with a year ago, to over 2,000. 在哥斯达黎加，截止5月1日, 与一年前相比，病例増加了近200%,超过2000例。 Rodrigo Marin is director of Costa Rica's health surveillance agency. 罗徳里戈马林是哥斯达黎加卫生监督局局长。 He told Reuters that while his country is having a difficult time dealing with COVID-19, other diseases continue to spread. 他告诉路透社，呈然他的国家正在艰难地应对新型冠状病毒肺炎，但其他疾病仍在继续蔓延。 In Panama, dengue has caused at least two deaths this year. 在巴拿马，登革热今年至少已造成2人死亡。 Speaking with Reuters, Panama City health official Yamileth Lopez said that "Dengue kills too." 巴拿马市卫生官员亚米莱思洛佩茲在接受路透社采访时表示，“登革热也会导致死亡” |
|
|
