VOA常速英语:从太空中监测疫情

Rift Valley Fever is one of the viral diseases spread by mosquitoes that affects both humans and livestock in Africa, and Arabian Peninsula.There is no treatment for the infected and those with severe symptoms have only a 50% chance of survival.

Vaccination of livestock helps but only effects then before the outbreak so knowing when it’s about to occur is of crucial importance.But predicting an outbreak has been impossible.

Analyzing satellite observation suffers the weather patterns,scientists with the University Space Research of Association working at NASA’s Goddard Space Flights Center picked up a curious coincidence.

We notice one thing: every of the observance of RVF had occurred in this Africa during an El Nino event.

El Nino and La Nina are two cycles of warm and cold temperatures occurring in the equatorial Pacific.So huge, the day affects the weather systems as far as the Indian Ocean.

And the rain they bring creates a rich environment for disease carrying insects called vectors.

What happened is not only the above normal rainfall but is actually extended.

So instead of having a growing season for about 3 months you end up having 4 to 5 months,this condition’s over a large area like this on Africa would result in the flooding of habitus where these mosquito eggs are blooming of the vectors.

A monitoring program funded by the US Department of Defense Health Agency, NASA’s Goddard Space Flights Center,World Health Organization and various country partners supplies about 25 recipients with monthly information about potential risk of outbreaks.

Together with the RVF, it looks at several other vector borne diseases such as Hantavirus, Chikungunya and Dengue.

We are able to mark what’s going on around the world on a daily bases.We basically can determine what anomalies lead to particular outbreaks.

Anyamba says more outbreaks will be prevented as the program gains more visibility among governments and non-government organizations in affected countries.

The predictions are also posted on the website of the US Department of Agriculture’s Center for Medical and Veterinary and Entomology.

George Putic, VOA News, Washington.