VOA慢速英语:Zika Could Affect Adult Brains, Says New Study(翻译)

New research suggests the Zika virus may damage some cells in adult brains.
最新研究表明寨卡病毒可能损伤成人大脑中的某些细胞。

Until now, scientists mainly worried about Zika’s effects on the brains of babies whose mothers were infected with the virus during pregnancy.
而现在，科学家们主要担心的是寨卡病毒对婴儿大脑的影响，这些婴儿的妈妈在怀孕期间就感染了寨卡病毒。

The Rockefeller University and La Jolla Institute for Allergy and Immunology carried out the new research. The findings were published last week in the Cell Stem Cell journal.
洛克菲勒大学与拉霍亚研究所在过敏和免疫学方面进行了新的研究。上周，《干细胞》杂志发表了该研究。

The research suggests the Zika virus could infect some kinds of adult cells. These cells are considered important to learning and memory.
该研究表明，寨卡病毒能够影响几种成人细胞。这些细胞对于学习和记忆非常重要。

“This is the first study looking at the effect of Zika infection on the adult brain,” says Joseph Gleeson.He is a professor at Rockefeller University and head of the Laboratory of Pediatric Brain Disease.Gleeson says, “Based on our findings, getting infected with Zika as an adult may not be as innocuous as people think.”
“这是首次有关寨卡病毒对成人大脑影响的研究，”Joseph Gleeson说到。Gleeson是洛克菲勒大学的教授和小儿脑部疾病实验室的首席专家。Gleeson说到：“根据我们的研究发现，成人感染寨卡病毒可能不会像人们所想的那样无害。”

By innocuous, Gleeson means not seeming to have a harmful effect.
Gleeson所说的无害意思是指没有坏的影响。

In their study, the researchers examined cells in mice.
在他们的研究中，研究人员对小鼠的细胞进行了检测。

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, the Zika virus is spread mostly by a bite from an infected mosquito.
美国疾病控制和预防中心（简称CDC）表示，寨卡病毒大多通过受感染的蚊虫叮咬传播。

Zika can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus, the CDC said.It said infection during pregnancy can cause certain birth defects.
美国疾病控制和预防中心表示，寨卡病毒可以通过孕妇感染给胎儿。这表明在怀孕期间感染病毒可能造成胎儿某些先天缺陷。

Gleeson, the Rockefeller University professor, says most adults seem able to overcome the harmful effects of Zika.But, he said people with compromised immune systems could face problems.
洛克菲勒大学的教授Gleeson表示，大多数成年人似乎能够克服寨卡的有害影响。但他表示，免疫系统受损的人可能面临一些问题。

An immune system protects a person from disease and infection.
免疫系统能够防护保护人类不受疾病和感染的影响。

The major worry, Gleeson says, is that Zika could affect long-term memory in some adults.However, he adds that “a lot more research” is needed.
Gleeson说，他的主要担心是寨卡会对一些成年人的长期记忆造成影响。不过，他补充说“更多的研究”是必要的。

Sujan Shresta is a professor at the La Jolla Institute of Allergy and Immunology.
Sujan Shresta是过敏免疫学拉霍亚研究所的一名教授。

She notes that most adults infected with Zika do not show any health problems.
她指出，感染寨卡病毒的大多数成年人还未出现任何健康问题。

Shresta said the effects on adult brain cells may not be as clear as the effects on babies infected with the Zika virus.
什雷斯塔表示感染寨卡病毒对成人脑细胞的影响可能不会像对婴儿的影响那样明显。

Shresta said, thanks to the new research, health officials now know “what to look for.”
什雷斯塔说，幸好有了新的研究，卫生官员现在知道了“要寻找什么。”

I’m Bruce Alpert.
Bruce Alpert为您报道。