曾經等同於宣判死刑的10大疾病(下)

ilis

5.梅毒

Think of syphilis as the granddaddy of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). One of the oldest on the books, it's suspected to have affected many over the centuries, including England's King Henry VIII and composer Franz Schubert.

論及梅毒，這可是性傳播疾病的祖師爺。在一些書中，作者懷疑幾個世紀以來很多人都感染了梅毒，包括英國國王亨利八世和作曲家弗朗茨·舒伯特。

Syphilis is highly contagious because symptoms are often confused with other problems, if they're apparent at all. Sores can be easily mistaken for mundane annoyances like ingrown hairs, for example, or they hide in the anus or other crevices. If left untreated, syphilis can progress through the uncomfortable first and second stages into the third stage, which is characterized by dementia, heart disease, organ failure and other serious, life-threatening issues. No wonder it was referred to in centuries past as the "great pox" or just "the pox." This disease used to be very widespread. In the early 1900s, it was estimated that 10 to 15 percent of the U.S. population had syphilis. After the introduction of penicillin in the 1940s, the death rate tumbled. Incidence of primary and secondary syphilis in the U.S. in 2013 was down to around 5.3 cases per 100,000 people (but double the all-time low rate reported in 2000 of 2.1). Prevention and early treatment of this disease is urged to prevent resurgence and other long-term health complications.

梅毒有着極高的傳染性，因爲它比較明顯的症狀和其他一些疾病相似，所以容易混淆。比如梅毒的瘡很可能被誤診爲像毛髮內生這樣的普通疾病，或者它們會藏在肛門和其它身體縫隙中。如果不及時治療，梅毒會從一期的身體不適發展到二期、三期的嚴重狀態，包括癡呆、心臟疾病、器官衰竭和其它嚴重威脅生命的症狀。難怪梅毒在過去的幾個世紀都被稱爲“大皰疹”或簡稱爲“皰疹”。梅毒曾經廣泛傳播。在20世紀初期，估算有百分之十到十五的美國人感染了梅毒。20世紀40年代引進青黴素以後，死亡率大幅降低。2013年，梅毒一期和二期的發病率降低到了5.3例每十萬人（但仍是2000年所報道數據的兩倍多，2000年的梅毒發病率空前的低，平均2.1例每十萬人）。預防措施和初期的治療十分重要，可以避免梅毒的復發以及其它影響健康的長期併發症的產生。

uenza

4.流感

Every year, influenza (or "the flu") does its best to confound vaccine-producing scientists. Sometimes vaccines work pretty well, and other years they miss the mark a bit. This is because flu viruses constantly change, leaving vaccine makers to take an educated guess at creating a treatment that will effectively combat that year's most common strains.

每一年，那些研發疫苗的科學家們都因爲流感病毒而措手不及。在與流感的對抗中，疫苗時而“凱旋”時而“敗北”。這是因爲流感病毒不斷變異，疫苗生產商們只能依據這些變異的病毒作出相應推斷並創建新的治療方法，用以抵禦當年最廣爲傳播的致病菌株。

Most of the time, seasonal flu causes significant illness and discomfort in the form of fever, chills and body ache, but this highly contagious illness usually isn't life-threatening. Certain groups are at higher risk, like people over age 65, young children, people with compromised immune systems and pregnant women. Flu outbreaks have occurred that devastated populations, however. The worst on record was probably the 1918 outbreak that killed approximately 40 million people worldwide . Science today appears to be on our side, thankfully. In 2014, there were 250,000 to 500,000 deaths from influenza worldwide.

季節性流感多會引發重大疾病，給人帶來不適。患者會出現發高燒、打寒顫、身體痠痛等症狀。儘管如此，這一高傳染性疾病通常並不會威脅到人的生命。65歲以上的老人、免疫力低下的人以及孕婦則屬於高危人羣。然而，流感的爆發也曾引發大規模的人口死亡。有記錄以來最爲慘痛的當屬1918年爆發的那一場流感，造成全球約4000萬人死亡。值得慶幸的是，今天我們似乎能夠與科學並肩作戰，一道對抗流感。2014年，全球有25至50萬人死於流感。

ical Cancer

3.子宮頸癌

As recently as the 1940s, the leading cause of death among women in the U.S. was cervical cancer. But the advent of the Papanicolaou(Pap) test contributed to a 60 percent decline in cervical cancer death rates and incidence in the United States between 1955 and 1992. The test, which is typically administered during annual gynecological visits, can identify precancerous cells before they have a chance to get out of control.

早在40年代，子宮頸癌就已成爲美國女性死亡的主因。隨着巴氏試驗的成功誕生，1955至1992年間美國女性子宮頸癌的死亡率及發病率都降低了60%。每年的婦科檢查項目都包含有這一測試，能在癌症前期細胞發生變異之前對其進行識別。

Pap tests check for the presence of human papillomavirus, some versions of which are transmitted sexually, and can cause cell changes that result in cervical cancer. In recent years, experts have begun encouraging adolescent girls to receive the HPV vaccine, which can altogether prevent certain types of the virus. Nearly 4,000 women died in 2010 of cervical cancer, although the rate is dropping by the year. "Within our lifetimes, we may see a country free of women dying from cervical cancer if screening and vaccination is done in an appropriate and timely way," explains David Espey, M.D., acting director in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at CDC.

有幾種型別的人乳頭瘤病毒是通過性傳播造成細胞變異，從而使人患上子宮頸癌。巴氏試驗則可對現有型別的人乳頭瘤病毒進行檢測。近些年，專家開始鼓勵年輕女性接種HPV疫苗，該疫苗可預防多種病毒。雖然死亡率逐年下降，但2010年仍有近4000名女性死於子宮頸癌。疾控中心癌症防控科代理主任醫學博士戴維埃·斯佩表示：“如若做好疫苗接種並定期接受檢查，在我們的有生之年也許就可以看到這樣一個國度，在這個國度裏女性同胞們都逃離了子宮頸癌的死亡魔爪。”

ria

2.瘧疾

Mosquitos pack the potential for more than just annoying, itchy red bumps. In fact, they transmit the Plasmodium parasite that causes malaria, which is characterized by chills, sweating and fever, among other symptoms. Although it has been largely eradicated in North America, the Caribbean and much of Europe, malaria is still a serious concern in tropical and subtropical countries, particularly in Africa and Asia.

蚊子不僅能叮咬出令人發癢且抓狂的紅疙瘩，事實上它們還會傳播誘發瘧疾的瘧原蟲寄生蟲。瘧疾的發病特徵包括髮熱，打冷顫，渾身出汗等症狀。儘管在北美、加勒比海和歐洲大部分地區，這種疾病已經被大幅根除。但是在熱帶和亞熱帶，尤其是亞非洲國家，瘧疾仍然是一個嚴重的問題。

Public health initiatives have rendered malaria both preventable and treatable, as long as it's done correctly and quickly. Rapid diagnostic tests, followed by tailored antimalarial treatments have saved at least 3 million lives since 2000. Between 2000 and 2013, global deaths from malaria have fallen 42 percent. As with most of these diseases, prevention with such new technologies as insecticide-treated bed nets is encouraged by infectious disease experts.

公共衛生組織表示只要處理得正確及時，瘧疾是可以預防和治癒的。從2000年起，快速診斷測試和專門的抗瘧疾治療已經拯救了至少300萬人的生命。2000年和2013年間，全球瘧疾死亡人數下降了42%。傳染病研究專家提議，針對這種疾病的預防可以使用經過殺蟲劑處理的蚊帳。

monia

1.肺炎

Pneumonia is sneaky, to say the least. It often strikes in the midst of another illness, like bronchitis or the flu. But it's a lot less of a death sentence than it used to be. In 1900, it was the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. In 2006, pneumonia was the eighth most common cause of death, along with influenza.

肺炎很狡猾，常常伴隨着另一種疾病，如支氣管炎或流感出現，但是它導致的死亡人數已比以前要少很多了。1900年肺炎是美國位列第一的致死病因。2006年，肺炎與流感在常見死因中並列第八。

Caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses or other small germs, pneumonia occurs when said germs reach and infect one or both lungs. Although it is typically treatable, pneumonia is sometimes difficult to get under control, and can cause difficulty breathing, lung abscess and other complications. Bacteria can also invade the bloodstream, potentially causing organ failure. Experts typically advise high-risk groups, particularly people over age 65, to be vaccinated to prevent getting sick or experiencing complications.

當真菌、球菌、病黴或其他微小病菌接觸了肺部，就會引起感染從而導致肺炎。儘管肺炎一般可以治癒，但有時很難控制住，可能會引起呼吸困難，肺膿潰瘍和其他併發症。細菌也可以侵入血液，可能會導致器官衰竭。通常專家建議高危人羣，尤其是在65歲以上的老人接種疫苗以預防感染疾病或併發症。

審校：Fiona 編輯：listen 來源：前十網