VOA慢速英语:Mass Vaccination of Dogs Can Eliminate Rabies

In the United States, we often say that "dogs are a man's best friend." While it is true that dogs are popular pets, it is also true that in some parts of the world, a dog bite can lead to a painful death.
在美国，我们常说“狗是人类最好的朋友。”虽然这是事实，狗是很受欢迎的宠物。然而，在世界的一些地方，被狗咬伤可能会导致痛苦死亡，这也是事实。

In fact, about 70,000 people worldwide die every year of rabies. Rabies is a viral infection that people get mainly through dog bites.
事实上，全球每年有约7万人死于狂犬病。狂犬病是一种主要通过被狗咬伤而感染的病毒。

Rabies is uncommon in the West. But in India, and other parts of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, dogs that have not received anti-rabies vaccine continue to threaten public health.
狂犬病在西方很罕见。但在印度，亚洲其它地区以及撒哈拉以南非洲地区，未注射狂犬病疫苗的犬类继续威胁着公众的健康。

A rabies death is a painful process. After a rabid dog bites someone, the virus invades the person's central nervous system. Victims develop a severe and irrational fear of water. They convulse, or shake violently. Then they go into a coma and almost always die.
狂犬病死亡是个痛苦的过程。疯狗咬伤某人后，这种病毒就会侵入人的中枢神经系统。受害者对水会产生严重的非理性的恐惧。他们剧烈发抖，然后进入昏迷状态，而且最终难逃一死。

However, the rabies virus is not immediately active in the human body. It is usually inactive for at least 10 days after a bite. Sometimes it remains silent for months. This is called an incubation period. During incubation, vaccination can still prevent infection.
然而狂犬病毒并无法立即在人体内激活。通常被咬后至少10天它都不活跃，有时候数月它都没有反应。这就是所谓的潜伏期。在潜伏期间，接种疫苗仍然可以预防感染。

Scientists say vaccinating dogs can effectively get rid of rabies outbreaks in dog populations. And this will have a domino effect – vaccinating dogs with rabies means fewer humans with rabies.
科学家声称，注射过疫苗的狗可以有效摆脱犬类的狂犬病疫情。这将产生多米诺骨牌效应 - 犬类接种狂犬病疫苗意味着更少的人需要接种狂犬病疫苗。

But many developing countries do not have dog vaccination systems in place. So, rabies still kills 70,000 people around the world every year. Most victims are children.
但是，许多发展中国家不具备犬类接种制度。因此，狂犬病每年仍然造成全球7万人死亡。大多数受害者是儿童。

Animal scientists are calling for mass vaccination of dogs as a way to get rid of rabies.
动物学家呼吁对犬类进行大规模免疫以此来摆脱狂犬病。

One example of where this worked very well is in the African country of Tanzania. Public health officials there set up dog vaccination centers in 180 villages. Before the vaccination centers were set up, there were, on average, 50 rabies deaths every year in Tanzania. After the centers began working, that number dropped to nearly zero.
这项工作在非洲国家坦桑尼亚开展的效果不错。这里的公共卫生官员在180个村成立了犬类疫苗接种中心。在疫苗接种中心成立前，坦桑尼亚每年平均有50起狂犬病死亡病例。当该中心启用后，这一数字下降到几乎为零。

Guy Palmer is director of the School for Global Animal Health at Washington State University. He co-authored the study in Tanzania.
Guy Palmer是华盛顿州立大学全球动物健康学院的负责人。他与人合着了这篇坦桑尼亚调查。

Mr. Palmer says researchers found that immunizing 70 percent of dogs wiped out rabies as a human threat.
Palmer先生称，研究人员发现，使70%的犬类免疫就把作为人类一大威胁的狂犬病消灭了。

"Before that, people had said, ‘Well, the dogs are running wild.' We've shown that, in fact, that's not true. These dogs tend to have owners, so they are available for vaccination. We can get 70 percent coverage."
“在此之前，人们曾经说，‘好吧，狗到处乱跑。’我们已经证明其实这并非事实。这些狗往往都有主人，所以它们可以接种疫苗，我们可以获得70%的接种覆盖率。”

Mr. Palmer says 40 percent of those who get rabies from dogs in Africa and Asia are children.
Palmer先生说，非洲和亚洲被狗咬伤者40%都是儿童。

Mr. Palmer wrote a report on the subject for Science magazine. It says that rabies could be permanently ended within 10 years. The scientists suggest using a method called "One Health." The method brings together people doctors and animal doctors, or veterinarians. They immunize dogs against rabies and treat dog-bite victims.
Palmer先生就此课题撰写了一份报告发表在《科学》杂志上。报告称，狂犬病能够在10年内被永久消灭。科学家们建议使用一种名为“同一健康”的办法。这种办法汇集了人类医生和兽医，他们为犬类注射狂犬病疫苗并治疗被狗咬伤的受害者。

"This is not something that requires 10 to 20 years of basic research to develop a vaccine. We have a vaccine that works perfectly. It's really an implementation strategy, and a desire to do so. And one of the benefits is that any implementation strategy like this strengthens those infrastructures within the most vulnerable communities and countries."
“这并不需要花费10到20年时间的基础研究来开发疫苗，我们已经有完美的疫苗。它只是一种实施策略以及这样做的意愿。而带来的好处之一是任何这类执行策略都可以强化最脆弱社区和国家内部的基础设施。””

Mr. Palmer says a successful anti-rabies campaign strengthens medical systems. And this could have a positive domino effect when fighting other deadly diseases, such as Ebola.
Palmer先生称，抗狂犬病战役的成功能够强化医疗体系。而这在打击其它致命病毒，如埃博拉病毒时，可能会产生积极的多米诺骨牌效应。