医学英语：什么是百日咳？

Today, we're talking about pertussis, or whooping cough.

今天，我们来讨论一下百日咳，或者叫顿咳。

Pertussis is a disease that leaves its victims gasping for air.

百日咳会让病人喘气。

At first, it might seem like a common cold, runny nose and cough.

起初，它可能跟普通咳嗽一样，流鼻涕和咳嗽。

That's stage one, when pertussis is just warming up.

那是第一阶段，百日咳才刚开始。

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After a week or two, its victims can have extreme coughing spells.

一两周后，患者会有极端阵咳。

People can cough so hard and long that they throw up or turn blue because they can't breathe.

人们咳嗽很严重，时间很长，会呕吐，或者因无法呼吸而脸色发蓝。

Victims of pertussis may make a big gasping "whoop" sound when they suck in air after a coughing fit.

百日咳患者在咳嗽发作后，呼吸时会发出很大的“哮喘”声。

Pertussis is a bully, affecting young children and babies the most.

百日咳很严重，最容易影响儿童和婴儿。

It's no joke; about half of babies who get it wind up in the hospital.

这可不是说着玩的；约有一半的婴儿患者都会住院。

Pertussis is highly contagious; that means it's easy to catch.

百日咳具有高传染性；也就是说很容易得这种病。

If you have pertussis, everyone in your house can get it if they haven't been vaccinated.

如果你有百日咳，那么你家没有打疫苗的人都可能得这种病。

Kids need the vaccine when they're little, but teenagers and adults need a booster shot.

孩子在很小的时候就需要这种疫苗，但青少年和成年人需要强化注射剂量。

Besides getting vaccinated, there are other things we can do to help improve our chances of not getting pertussis.

除了打疫苗外，我们还可以做其他事来避免得百日咳。

Right, Karmen! Wash your hands often with soap and water, cover coughs and sneezes with your arm, and don't share cups and silverware.

没错，卡门！经常用肥皂和水洗手，咳嗽或打喷嚏时用手遮掩，不要与他人共用杯子和餐具。