埃博拉或致西非国家政府瘫痪

The Ebola outbreak is threatening “state failure” in west Africa, the World Health Organisation warned, as the US said it needed to overhaul its management of the virus following the infection of an American nurse.

世界卫生组织(WHO)警告说，埃博拉(Ebola)病毒的蔓延或将导致西非“政府瘫痪”。与此同时，美国也表示，在一名美国护士感染埃博拉病毒后，该国需要彻底整顿对病毒的管控流程。

“I have never seen a health event threaten the very survival of societies and governments in already very poor countries,” Margaret Chan, director-general of the WHO, said in a statement on Monday. “I have never seen an infectious disease contribute so strongly to potential state failure.”

周一，WHO总干事陈冯富珍(Margaret Chan)在一份声明中表示：“我从未见过像埃博拉这样，在一个本已十分贫穷的国家，一次健康卫生事件就能威胁到社区和政府存续的情况。我也从未见过一种传染病会如此强烈地增加政府瘫痪的可能性。”

The US, meanwhile, vowed to reform its management of Ebola infections after procedures it had previously described as rigorous failed to prevent a healthcare worker from contracting the virus in Texas last week.

与此同时，美国也发誓要改革对埃博拉病毒感染的管控，原因是上周在德克萨斯，该国自称十分严格的管控流程未能阻止一名医护人员接触到这种病毒。

And enhanced screening for Ebola will begin at Britain’s biggest airport on Tuesday as prime minister David Cameron insisted “vigorous steps” were being taken to prevent the deadly virus reaching the UK.

英国最大机场周二将启动对埃博拉病毒的强化审查机制。与此同时，英国首相戴维•卡梅伦(David Cameron)坚称，英国已采取了“有力措施”，阻止这种致命病毒进入英国。

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said checks would take place at Heathrow’s Terminal 1 before they are expanded to cover Gatwick airport outside London and Eurostar rail terminals linking the UK to the continent by the end of next week.

英国卫生大臣杰里米•亨特(Jeremy Hunt)表示，开始将从希斯罗机场(Heathrow Airport)1号航站楼查起。随后，在下周结束之前检查范围会扩大到伦敦之外的盖特威克(Gatwick)机场，以及连接英国与欧洲的欧洲之星(Eurastar)铁路的终点站。

Thomas Frieden, head of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a press conference on Monday: “We have to rethink how we address Ebola infection control, because even a single infection is unacceptable.”

美国疾病控制预防中心(US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)主任托马斯•弗里登(Thomas Frieden)周一在一个记者招待会上表示：“对于我们如何处理埃博拉病毒感染事件的管控问题，我们必须予以反思。因为，就算只有一起感染案例，我们也无法接受。”

He said CDC was implementing immediate steps to change the way the infected nurse in Dallas was cared for and was examining more profound long-term changes. He also vowed to “double down” on the training given to US hospitals, saying: “Every hospital in this country needs to think about the possibility of Ebola.”

他说，该中心正在采取应急措施，调整照看达拉斯受感染护士的方式，并且在考察更为深入的长期性改革举措。此外，他还发誓要“大力加强”对美国医院的培训工作，他表示：“美国每家医院都必须考虑到遇到埃博拉病毒患者的可能性。”

The nurse, who was named as Nina Pham by US media on Monday, contracted the virus while caring for Thomas Eric Duncan, who died last week after being infected in Liberia before travelling to the US.

据美国媒体周一报道，这位被感染的护士名叫尼娜•彭(Nina Pham)。她是在照看托马斯•埃里克•邓肯(Thomas Eric Duncan)时接触到埃博拉病毒的。邓肯在进入美国之前在利比里亚感染了埃博拉病毒，已在上周去世。

Dr Frieden said the new steps included monitoring staff as they remove the protective clothing worn while treating an infected patient, a process that carries its own risks.

弗里登表示，新的举措包括对员工脱去防护服的过程加强监控，这种防护服是员工照看受感染病患时所穿，脱去该防护服的过程也有一定受感染风险。

CDC was also exploring alternative types of protective equipment and the possible use of virus-killing chemicals to spray people emerging from Ebola containment units, he said.

他说，疾控中心还在探索防护设备的替代类型，并有可能对从埃博拉隔离区出来的人们采取喷淋杀毒化学药品的措施。

At New York’s John F. Kennedy airport the authorities continued to screen air travellers arriving from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea on Monday. The CDC said so far 91 people had been identified since Saturday and none had a fever or reported exposure to Ebola.

周一，在纽约肯尼迪机场(JFK Airport)，当局仍在继续检查来自利比里亚、塞拉利昂和几内亚的游客。疾控中心表示，自周六以来，该中心已发现了91名此类旅客，无人存在发烧症状，也没有这些人曾暴露在埃博拉病毒之下的报告。

Dr Frieden said: “The care of Ebola is hard. We’re working to make it safer and easier.” He said CDC had still not identified how the infected nurse, who wore protective clothing while caring for Mr Duncan, had contracted the virus.

弗里登表示：“对埃博拉病人的护理工作十分困难，我们正在努力使这一过程变得更加安全方便。”他说，疾控中心仍未确认那位受感染护士是如何接触到这种病毒的，因为她在护理邓肯时已穿上了防护服。

The death toll from Ebola in west Africa has topped 4,000.

目前，在非洲西部地区，埃博拉病毒的致死人数已高达4000人。

Ms Chan, the WHO chief, said in a statement delivered on her behalf in the Philippines that the “outbreak spotlights the dangers of the world’s growing social and economic inequalities. The rich get the best care. The poor are left to die.”

在一份代表她在菲律宾发出的声明中，WHO总干事陈冯富珍表示，“埃博拉病毒的蔓延凸显出全球社会和经济不平等日益加剧的风险。富人能得到最好的照看，而穷人则只能等待死亡。”

She added: “Decades of neglect of fundamental health systems and services mean that a shock, like an extreme weather event in a changing climate, armed conflict, or a disease run wild, can bring a fragile country to its knees.”

她还补充说：“数十年忽视基本医疗体系和服务的建设，使得一次冲击就足以让一个脆弱的国家崩溃。这种冲击可能是气候变化大环境下的极端天气事件，可能是武装冲突，也可能是失控的疫情。”