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科学家揭秘为何冬季多发流感
添加时间:2017-02-28 17:51:04 浏览次数: 作者:未知
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  • It is a mystery that has baffled doctors for decades.

    But experts believe they have now finally solved the tricky1 question of why winter is notoriously known as the flu season.

    According to new research, the influenza2 virus coats itself in a protective fatty shield that is tough enough to withstand cold temperatures.

    The butter-like material only melts when it hits the respiratory tract3, leaving the virus free to infect cells - a process scientists say is like an M&M melting in the mouth.

    However, in warmer outdoor temperatures, the protective coating melts before it reaches a person or an animal, killing4 the germs before they can infect someone.

    Joshua Zimmerberg, from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), in the US, which led the study, said: 'Like an M&M in your mouth, the protective covering melts when it enters the respiratory tract.

    'It's only in this liquid phase that the virus is capable of entering a cell to infect it.'

    In the past scientists have worked on theories that flu is more common in winter because people spend more time inside or the radiation from the sun in summer kills off germs.

    But no research has successfully explained the spread of the disease.

    Researchers have already claimed that the report, which is published in the journal Nature Chemical Biology, could lead to new ways to prevent and treat flu.

    Duane Alexander, the director of NICHD, said: 'The study results open new avenues of research for thwarting5 winter flu outbreaks.

    'Now that we understand how the flu virus protects itself so that it can spread from person to person, we can work on ways to interfere6 with that protective mechanism7.'

    Influenza and other respiratory viruses are spread in small droplets8 broadcast by coughing, sneezing and talking and which can also settle onto surfaces, to be picked up on fingertips.

    为何冬季为多发流感?

    这可是困扰了医生们几十年的一个谜。

    不过,专家们现在终于解开了这个难题。

    一项最新研究发现,流感病毒表面包有一层脂肪保护外壳,这种外壳十分坚硬,能抵御严寒。

    这种油状物质在进入呼吸道后才会融化,病毒被释放后即会感染细胞。科学家称这一过程如同M&M巧克力豆在嘴里融化。

    然而,在温度较高的环境下,这层保护壳在进入人体或动物体内之前就会融化,因此病毒在感染细胞之前即被杀死。

    研究负责人、美国儿童健康与人类发展研究所的约瑟华•兹姆博格说:“这层保护壳在进入呼吸道时即会融化,就像放入口中的M&M巧克力豆一样。”

    “而就在这一液态阶段,病毒才得以入侵并感染细胞。”

    科学家们过去一直在研究冬季易发流感的原因,一些理论称这是因为冬季人们多在室内活动,或是因为夏季的阳光辐射会杀死细菌。

    但没有一项研究能真正解释流感传播的原因。

    研究人员们称,这项研究成果能为防治流感提供新办法。研究报告将在《自然化学生物学》期刊上发表。

    美国儿童健康与人类发展研究所主任杜安尼•亚历山大说:“研究结果为控制冬季流感爆发开辟了新途径。”

    “现在我们明白了流感病毒是如何保护自己并在人际间传播的,因此我们可以研究如何‘干扰’这种保护机制。”

    流感及其他呼吸道病毒主要通过咳嗽、打喷嚏或说话时散播的飞沫传播,它也会附着在物体表面,通过被污染的手指接触传染。

     9级    双语 


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    1 tricky [ˈtrɪki] 9fCzyd   第9级
    adj.狡猾的,奸诈的;(工作等)棘手的,微妙的
    参考例句:
    • I'm in a rather tricky position. Can you help me out? 我的处境很棘手,你能帮我吗?
    • He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities. 他回避了这个非常微妙的问题,只做了个笼统的表述。
    2 influenza [ˌɪnfluˈenzə] J4NyD   第8级
    n.流行性感冒,流感
    参考例句:
    • They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza. 他们采取措施阻止病毒的扩散。
    • Influenza is an infectious disease. 流感是一种传染病。
    3 tract [trækt] iJxz4   第7级
    n.传单,小册子,大片(土地或森林)
    参考例句:
    • He owns a large tract of forest. 他拥有一大片森林。
    • He wrote a tract on this subject. 他曾对此写了一篇短文。
    4 killing [ˈkɪlɪŋ] kpBziQ   第9级
    n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财
    参考例句:
    • Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off. 投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
    • Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street. 上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。
    5 thwarting ['θwɔ:tɪŋ] 501b8e18038a151c47b85191c8326942   第9级
    阻挠( thwart的现在分词 ); 使受挫折; 挫败; 横过
    参考例句:
    • The republicans are trying to embarrass the president by thwarting his economic program. 共和党人企图通过阻挠总统的经济计划使其难堪。
    • There were too many men resisting his authority thwarting him. 下边对他这个长官心怀不服的,故意作对的,可多着哩。
    6 interfere [ˌɪntəˈfɪə(r)] b5lx0   第7级
    vi.(in)干涉,干预;(with)妨碍,打扰;vt.冲突;介入
    参考例句:
    • If we interfere, it may do more harm than good. 如果我们干预的话,可能弊多利少。
    • When others interfere in the affair, it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件,棘手的事情就来了。
    7 mechanism [ˈmekənɪzəm] zCWxr   第7级
    n.机械装置;机构,结构
    参考例句:
    • The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body. 骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
    • The mechanism of the machine is very complicated. 这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。
    8 droplets [d'rɒplets] 3c55b5988da2d40be7a87f6b810732d2   第10级
    n.小滴( droplet的名词复数 )
    参考例句:
    • Droplets of sweat were welling up on his forehead. 他额头上冒出了滴滴汗珠。 来自辞典例句
    • In constrast, exhaled smoke contains relatively large water droplets and appears white. 相反,从人嘴里呼出的烟则包含相当大的水滴,所以呈白色。 来自辞典例句

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