CNN News:Zika病毒引起广泛关注

First up, the World Health Organization, part of the United Nations, it says the Zika virus is now spreading explosively in the Americas.

头条新闻，世界卫生组织称Zika病毒目前正在蔓延美洲。

It`s not new to the world. Zika has affected equatorial Africa and Asia since the 1940s. But it was thought to be relatively harmless until last year. That`s when it arrived in the western hemisphere. That`s when it was linked to a severe disorder in babies.

Zika病毒并不陌生。在20世纪40年代，非洲和亚洲赤道地区就已经有Zika病毒存在。直到去年人们才认识到这种病毒的危险。去年这种病毒传染至西半球，导致婴儿发育严重失调。

Over the next 12 months, officials estimate there will be 3 million to 4 million Zika infections in the region. Health officials say the El Nino weather pattern could help spread the virus. It`s expected to increase the populations of mosquitoes the carry Zika.

在未来一年来，官员估计该地区将会有3到4百万Zika病例。健康官员称厄尔尼诺天气会扩散这种病毒。携带Zika病毒的蚊子数量会增加。

Researchers are pushing for international efforts to control mosquitoes and speed up vaccine research to fight the disease.

研究人员正在推动国际努力控制蚊子数量加紧研制疫苗，以对抗Zika病毒。

Here`s what we know about Zika. Some of it will frighten you -- but maybe not as much as you think.

这就是我们知道的Zika病毒。其中一些会另你恐惧，但是也可能不像你想象的那样。

It`s a mosquito-borne virus. Part of the same family as yellow fever, West Nile, Chikungunya and dengue.

这是一种依靠蚊子传播的病毒。同源的有黄热病、西尼罗河病毒 、基孔肯雅和登革热。

As things stand now, there is no vaccine to prevent Zika, or a medicine to treat the infection.

现在的情况是没有预防疫苗，同时也没有药物可以治疗这种疾病。

The most common symptoms include fever, rash, headaches and red eyes. But 80 percent of people who get Zika won`t even know they have it. That`s right. There are only symptoms in one in five people.

感染这种病毒最常见的症状是发热、皮疹、头痛和红眼。但是80%的感染患者并不会意识到自己已经感染了Zika病毒，原因是只有1/5的患者会出现上述症状。

Now, the virus is spreading quickly across Central and South America and the Caribbean. What makes Zika so scary is it`s alarming connection between the virus and microcephaly -- that is babies being born with heads and brains that are too small.

现在这种病毒正迅速蔓延到美洲中部和南部以及加勒比海地区。Zika病毒的可怕之处在于这种病毒可导致小头畸形——即婴儿生下来头脑过小畸形。

In Brazil and several Latin American countries, they`re becoming concerned enough they have asked women there not to get pregnant. In the United States, pregnant women are being told to postpone travel to any of these countries.

在巴西和一些拉丁美洲国家，该种病毒得到高度重视，国家要求妇女不要怀孕。而美国要求产妇推迟去以上国家的旅行时间。

In case you`re curious, this is the bloodsucker everyone is after. The female Aedes Aegypti, she`s an aggressive biter, but unlike other mosquitoes, feeds mostly during the day. For example, she`s different than the mosquitoes that transmit malaria, like to feed at night. That`s important, because bed nets won`t help as much here.

这种吸血鬼会吸食所有人的血。雌性埃及伊蚊，咄咄逼人，与其他蚊子不同的是，这种蚊子几乎白天活动。而传播疟疾的文字，喜欢晚间捕食。这一点，很重要，也就是说蚊帐根本不起作用。

The best way to prevent infections is using insect repellant with DEET, wearing thick long sleeve shirts and long pants and staying inside, in screened, air-conditioned areas as much as possible.

防止感染的最好的办法就是使用添加避蚊胺的驱虫剂，在室内也要穿上长袖衬衫和长裤，尽可能的待在空调区域。