埃博拉或致西非國家政府癱瘓

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.

世界衛生組織(WHO)警告說，埃博拉(Ebola)病毒的蔓延或將導致西非“政府癱瘓”。與此同時，美國也表示，在一名美國護士感染埃博拉病毒後，該國需要徹底整頓對病毒的管控流程。

“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.”

週一，WHO總幹事陳馮富珍(Margaret Chan)在一份聲明中表示：“我從未見過像埃博拉這樣，在一個本已十分貧窮的國家，一次健康衛生事件就能威脅到社區和政府存續的情況。我也從未見過一種傳染病會如此強烈地增加政府癱瘓的可能性。”

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.

與此同時，美國也發誓要改革對埃博拉病毒感染的管控，原因是上週在德克薩斯，該國自稱十分嚴格的管控流程未能阻止一名醫護人員接觸到這種病毒。

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.

英國最大機場週二將啓動對埃博拉病毒的強化審查機制。與此同時，英國首相戴維•卡梅倫(David Cameron)堅稱，英國已採取了“有力措施”，阻止這種致命病毒進入英國。

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.

英國衛生大臣傑里米•亨特(Jeremy Hunt)表示，開始將從希斯羅機場(Heathrow Airport)1號航站樓查起。隨後，在下週結束之前檢查範圍會擴大到倫敦之外的蓋特威克(Gatwick)機場，以及連接英國與歐洲的歐洲之星(Eurastar)鐵路的終點站。

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.”

美國疾病控制預防中心(US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)主任托馬斯•弗裏登(Thomas Frieden)週一在一個記者招待會上表示：“對於我們如何處理埃博拉病毒感染事件的管控問題，我們必須予以反思。因爲，就算只有一起感染案例，我們也無法接受。”

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.”

他說，該中心正在採取應急措施，調整照看達拉斯受感染護士的方式，並且在考察更爲深入的長期性改革舉措。此外，他還發誓要“大力加強”對美國醫院的培訓工作，他表示：“美國每家醫院都必須考慮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.

據美國媒體週一報道，這位被感染的護士名叫尼娜•彭(Nina Pham)。她是在照看托馬斯•埃裏克•鄧肯(Thomas Eric Duncan)時接觸到埃博拉病毒的。鄧肯在進入美國之前在利比里亞感染了埃博拉病毒，已在上週去世。

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.

弗裏登表示，新的舉措包括對員工脫去防護服的過程加強監控，這種防護服是員工照看受感染病患時所穿，脫去該防護服的過程也有一定受感染風險。

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.

他說，疾控中心還在探索防護設備的替代類型，並有可能對從埃博拉隔離區出來的人們採取噴淋殺毒化學藥品的措施。

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.

週一，在紐約肯尼迪機場(JFK Airport)，當局仍在繼續檢查來自利比里亞、塞拉利昂和幾內亞的遊客。疾控中心表示，自週六以來，該中心已發現了91名此類旅客，無人存在發燒症狀，也沒有這些人曾暴露在埃博拉病毒之下的報告。

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.

弗裏登表示：“對埃博拉病人的護理工作十分困難，我們正在努力使這一過程變得更加安全方便。”他說，疾控中心仍未確認那位受感染護士是如何接觸到這種病毒的，因爲她在護理鄧肯時已穿上了防護服。

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

目前，在非洲西部地區，埃博拉病毒的致死人數已高達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賓發出的聲明中，WHO總幹事陳馮富珍表示，“埃博拉病毒的蔓延凸顯出全球社會和經濟不平等日益加劇的風險。富人能得到最好的照看，而窮人則只能等待死亡。”

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.”

她還補充說：“數十年忽視基本醫療體系和服務的建設，使得一次衝擊就足以讓一個脆弱的國家崩潰。這種衝擊可能是氣候變化大環境下的極端天氣事件，可能是武裝衝突，也可能是失控的疫情。”