世界衛生組織1日召開緊急會議，宣布寨卡病毒的爆發和傳播已經構成全球突發公共衛生事件，呼吁國際社會聯手應對。

World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Margaret Chan holds a news conference after the first meeting of the International Health Regulations (IHR) Emergency Committee concerning the Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations in Geneva, Switzerland, February 1, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

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The World Health Organization on Monday declared the mosquito-borne Zika virus to be an international public health emergency as the disease linked to thousands of birth defects in Brazil spreads rapidly.
2月1日，世界衛生組織宣布由蚊媒傳播的寨卡病毒為全球突發公共衛生事件，該病毒已在巴西快速傳播，造成了成千上萬的嬰兒出現出生缺陷。

世衛組織統計，截至目前，美洲、非洲等已有超過20個國家報告出現寨卡病毒傳播。疫情最嚴重的是巴西、哥倫比亞等美洲國家。

What is Zika virus, and how is it spread?
什么是寨卡病毒？它是如何傳播的？

Zika is a tropical disease, like yellow fever and dengue. It is spread to people through mosquito bites, not person to person. The aggressive yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, has spread most Zika cases. Although the virus is normally spread by mosquitoes, there has been one report of possible spread through blood transfusion and one of possible spread through sex.
寨卡病毒是一種熱帶病，類似于黃熱病和登革熱。它是通過蚊子叮咬傳播給人的，并不是在人與人之間傳播。大部分感染案例是通過黃熱病蚊媒——埃及伊蚊傳播的。盡管該病毒通常是通過蚊媒傳播，但是也出現了可能通過輸血和性行為傳播的案例。

What are the symptoms of Zika virus?
寨卡病毒有哪些癥狀？

About one in five people who are infected with Zika virus will develop symptoms, the most common of which are fever, rash, joint pain and conjunctivitis, or redness in the eyes. Other symptoms are muscle pain and headache. It’s usually a mild disease lasting a few days or a week, and rarely requires hospitalization.
寨卡病毒的感染者中，只有1/5的感染者會出現癥狀，最常見的癥狀有發熱、皮疹、關節痛和結膜炎或者眼睛紅腫。其它癥狀還包括肌肉疼痛和頭痛。它通常只會引起一些輕微的病癥，持續幾天或一周，很少需要住院。

Where is Zika an issue?
寨卡病毒疫情嚴重的地區有哪些？

As the virus spreads from Brazil, other countries in the Americas are also likely to see cases of babies with Zika-linked birth defects, experts believe. The Pan American Health Organization says that Zika has now spread in 24 nations and territories in the Americas.
寨卡病毒從巴西傳播開來，專家表示，美洲的其他國家也可能會出現嬰兒患有出生缺陷與寨卡病毒相關的案例。泛美衛生組織表示，寨卡病毒已經在美洲24個國家和地區傳播。

What risk does Zika pose to pregnant women?
寨卡病毒對孕婦有什么風險？

There is strong evidence of a link between the Zika virus and a birth defect called microcephaly in which babies are born with undersized brains and skulls, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
據疾病控制和預防中心介紹，有確鑿的證據表明寨卡病毒與嬰兒小頭畸形出生缺陷有聯系。患有小頭畸形的嬰兒出生時的大腦和頭骨很小。

How can I protect myself from infection?
怎樣保護自己不受感染？

There is no vaccine or treatment for Zika. Do everything you can to protect yourself from mosquito bites.
目前沒有對抗寨卡病毒的疫苗和治療方法。盡你所能保護自己免受蚊子叮咬。

（中國日報網英語點津 劉秀紅）