中東呼吸綜合症,一場新的病毒之戰
MERS virus hits South Korea hard
中東呼吸綜合症--一場新病毒席捲韓國
South Korea has closed schools and canceled some public events over concerns about a new viral outbreak. Since April, a new disease there has sickened at least 87 people, killing six. All contracted what's called Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS.
考慮到一場新病毒的爆發，韓國學校停課，並取消了很多公共活動。自四月份以來，韓國最新爆發疾病已導致87人生病，6人死亡。受害者均被一種名爲中東呼吸綜合徵所感染，簡稱MERS。
The disease can resemble a cold or flu. For instance, its symptoms may include sneezing, diarrhea and vomiting. But in severe cases, people may develop pneumonia or kidney failure.
這種疾病類似於感冒或者流感，症狀包括打噴嚏，腹瀉，嘔吐等等，嚴重的患者甚至會發展到肺炎，腎衰等。
To date, health officials in South Korea have quarantined more than 2,500 people. All had been in contact with the sick people. A concern was that the large, but limited outbreak could mushroom into a pandemic - a global spread. In fact, the virus seems to spread mostly inside of hospitals or among family members.
迄今爲止，韓國衛生官員已對2500名與患者有過接觸的人進行了檢疫。但現在令人擔憂的是這場規模大同時又兼具侷限性疾病的爆發可能會迅速發展，蔓延至全球。事實上，這種病毒似乎主要在醫院或家庭成員之間傳播。
Explainer: What is a virus?
講解員：什麼是病毒？
The World Health Organization is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Officials there say that standard infection-control measures should end the outbreak. But people in South Korea remain frightened. And that's with good reason. Since the disease first emerged in 2012, at least 1,179 people have been sickened. Of these, up to four in every 10 have died. In South Korea, now, many people wear surgical masks whenever they go out in public.
世界衛生組織位於瑞士日內瓦。那裏的官員稱標準感染控制措施會結束這場突發病毒。但韓國人對其仍然十分恐慌，他們之所以這樣有充分的理由。自2012年這種疾病爆發後，至少有1179人因此生病，並且其中多達四成人死亡。現在在韓國，人們無論什麼時候外出公共場合都會戴着醫用口罩。
