What we know (and don't know) about Ebola - Alex Gendler

我們所知（或未知） 的伊波拉病毒—亞歷士‧ 詹德勒

譯者: Harry Chen 審譯者: Regina Chu

In the summer of 1976,

1976 年夏天

a mysterious epidemic suddenly struck two central African towns,

如謎般的傳染病突然地 入侵了兩個中非小鎮

killing the majority of its victims.

奪去大多數的受害者的性命

Medical researchers suspected

醫學研究人員曾懷疑

the deadly Marburg virus to be the culprit.

致命的馬爾堡病毒就是罪魁禍首

But what they saw in microscope images was an entirely new pathogen,

但是他們在顯微鏡底下看到的 卻是一種全新的病原體

which would be named after the nearby Ebola river.

稍後以附近的伊波拉河來命名

Like yellow fever or dengue,

就像是黃熱病或是登革熱

the disease caused by the Ebola virus is a severe type of hemorrhagic fever.

由伊波拉病毒所引起的疾病 是一種很嚴重的出血熱

It begins by attacking the immune system's cells

它會先攻擊免疫系統的細胞

and neutralizing its responses,

讓免疫系統的反應失效

allowing the virus to proliferate.

放任病毒的數量激增

Starting anywhere from two to twenty days after contraction,

感染後的 2 到 20 天內 開始發作

initial symptoms like high temperature,

起初的症狀像是發高燒

aching,

身體疼痛、喉嚨痛

and sore throat

resemble those of a typical flu,

讓這些看起來像是典型的感冒

but quickly escalate to vomiting,

但是沒多久就加劇成嘔吐

rashes,

長疹子，以及腹瀉

and diarrhea.

And as the virus spreads,

一旦病毒擴散開來

it invades the lymph nodes and vital organs,

它會侵入淋巴結和重要的器官

such as kidneys and liver, causing them to lose function.

諸如腎臟、肝臟等 造成它們失去功能

But the virus itself is not what kills Ebola victims.

不過此病毒本身並不會 殺死伊波拉的患者

Instead, the mounting cell deaths trigger an immune system overload,

相反地大量的細胞死亡 激發免疫系統過度運作

known as a cytokine storm,

就是常說的「細胞激素風暴」

an explosion of immune responses that damages blood vessels,

一種免疫反應爆炸破壞了血管

causing both internal and external bleeding.

造成內部和外部性的出血

The excessive fluid loss and resulting complications

過度的體液流失以及引致的併發症

can be fatal within six to sixteen days of the first symptoms,

在有初步症狀的 6 到 16 天內 可能是會死人的

though proper care and rehydration therapy

透過正確的照護和液體補充治療

can significantly reduce mortality rates in patients.

可以大大地降低病患的死亡率

Fortunately, while Ebola is highly virulent,

雖然伊波拉極度致命

several factors limit its contagiousness.

幸好有幾個因素阻止了它的傳染力

Unlike viruses that proliferate through small, airborne particles,

不像一般病毒 透過微小的浮游微粒擴散

Ebola only exists in bodily fluids,

伊波拉只生長在身體的體液裡

such as saliva,

像是口水、血液、黏液

blood,

mucus,

vomit,

or feces.

嘔吐物或是排泄物等等

In order to spread,

為了要散播開來

these must be transmitted from an infected person into another's body

這些體液必須要從染病者身上 移轉到其他人身上

through passageways such as the eyes, mouth, or nose.

經由管道像是 眼睛、嘴巴或是鼻子

And because the disease's severity

而且因為本病症的嚴重程度

increases directly along with the viral load,

伴隨著病毒數量直線性地惡化

even an infected person is unlikely to be contagious

即使是一個已經受到感染的人 也不太可能會有傳染性

until they have begun to show symptoms.

直到他們出現症狀為止

While Ebola has been shown to survive on surfaces for several hours,

儘管伊波拉已經被證實 可存活在物體表面達數個鐘頭

and transmission through sneezing or coughing is theoretically possible,

而透過打噴嚏、咳嗽來傳染 在理論上是可能的

virtually all known cases of contraction have been through direct contact

幾乎所有已知的感染病例

都曾經直接接觸過病重的患者

with the severely ill,

with the greatest risk posed to medical workers

對醫護人員、病患的朋友 親屬來說有著極大的風險

and friends or relatives of the victims.

This is why, despite its horrifying effects,

這就是為什麼儘管它的下場 是非常可怕的

Ebola has been far less deadly overall than more common infections,

整體而言伊波拉的致命力 遠不及較為常見的傳染病

such as measles,

像是麻疹、瘧疾、甚至是流行感冒

malaria,

or even influenza.

Once an outbreak has been contained,

一旦疫情爆發受到控制

the virus does not exist in the human population

伊波拉病毒就不會存留在人群中

until the next outbreak begins.

直到下一場疫情爆發出現

But while this is undoubtedly a good thing,

但是儘管這無疑是個好消息

it also makes Ebola difficult to study.

卻也令伊波拉難以研究

Scientists believe fruit bats to be its natural carriers,

研究人員認為果蝠是 伊波拉病毒的自然帶原者

but just how it is transmitted to humans remains unknown.

不過它是如何被移轉到人類身上 依舊是沒人知道的

Furthermore, many of the countries where Ebola outbreaks occur

更甚者是許多發生伊波拉 疫情爆發的國家

suffer from poor infrastructure and sanitation,

深受粗劣的基礎建設 和衛生設施所苦

which enables the disease to spread.

那使得疾病得以擴散

And the poverty of these regions,

而且這些地區的窮困

combined with the relatively low amount of overall cases

加上相對上很少的病例總數

means there is little economic incentive for drug companies to invest in research.

意味著讓藥廠在研發上 做投資的經濟誘因很小

Though some experimental medicines have shown promise,

雖然部分實驗藥品已經 證實了很有成功的機會

and governments are funding development of a vaccine,

也有好幾個國家 打算資助疫苗的開發

as of 2014,

但截至 2014 年

the only widespread and effective solutions to an Ebola outbreak remain

唯一對伊波拉的爆發 廣泛的、有用的解決辦法

仍只有隔離、衛生清潔 以及更多資訊

isolation,

sanitation,

and information.