VOA慢速英語:醫(yī)院預(yù)防中東MERS病毒的蔓延

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Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, has infected more than 500 people since it was first identified two years ago. About 30 percent of those infected die from the disease. Health officials have expressed concern about the sharp rise in the number of MERS cases in recent months. They also noted that the virus has infected people in Asia, Europe and North America.

Health officials are considering what they need to do to prepare for apandemic – when a disease affects many people over a wide area.

The last pandemic took place in 2009. That was when officials wereconcerned about the H1N1 influenza virus. The World Health Organizationsays MERS is a long way from becoming a pandemic. Most cases have beenreported in Saudi Arabia. They involve people with close contact with MERSpatients or with camels that carry the virus.

However, a virus can change at any time. So officials say there is need forconcern. Dr. LaMar Hasbrouck heads the Illinois Department of PublicHealth.

“It’s a new virus. It has a very high death rate, but we need to learn moreabout how easily it’s transmitted, and what are some of the signs andsymptoms.”

Passengers walk past the medical quarantine area showing information for the MERS virus at Manila's International Airport in April 16, 2014.

In the United States, many hospitals already have plans to keep the virus from spreading. Dr. Gabe Kelen works at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore,Maryland. His job is to make sure the plan covers all of the 46,000 people atboth Johns Hopkins University and its medical center.

“I’m not that concerned yet. However, for our level of preparation, we want tostay ahead of the curve. That should this happened, we’re not playing catch-up.”

This is not just for MERS, but for any infectious disease.

“When anyone comes into the emergency department with an influence-likeillness, we already have a protocol to screen them and to test them. And if webelieve they may have a serious infection, they get isolated, they get a mask. Anyone who goes in after to deal with that patient has certain precautions.”

Doctors, their aides and even cleaning crews might have to wear specialclothing, gloves and masks.

During the H1N1 influenza pandemic, hospitals set up special areas to testpatients suspected of carrying the flu. Some of these clinics operated inshelters outside the main hospital building. This custom could be repeated toprevent the spread of a virus, and lower the chance it could change intosomething even more deadly.

“The more often it (a virus) gets transmitted, the more the virus replicates. The more the virus replicates and in different hosts, the more likely its geneticmakeup may change.”

In the early 2000s, health officials were concerned about the spread of severeacute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. The world learned that an infectiousdisease is a health challenge everywhere, largely because of air travel. Countries found they had to share information about diseases in an effort tocontrol them.

Later this year, millions of people will go to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj – thelargest gathering of Muslims in the world. Health officials around the world will be carefully watching. I’m Bob Doughty.