11-7-2005

世卫负责人示警：禽流感流行不可避免 (WHO Chief Warns Bird Flu Pandemic Inevitable)

世界卫生组织负责人表示， 禽流感在人类蔓延只是一个时间问题。世界卫生组织总干事李钟郁在日内瓦的一个医疗专家会议上说，到目前为止，禽流感还没有在人类中蔓延，但是一些迹象已经显露出来。

有关官员表示，这个传染病有可能导致数以百万计的人丧生，并给全球经济造成大约8千亿美元的损失。

就目前状况看，禽流感从禽鸟类向人类传播还不多见。亚洲120位感染H5N1型病毒的人中，大多数和感染了禽流感的家禽及其粪便或者鼻腔里的分泌物有过接触。

但是，医疗官员担心，病毒在禽鸟中传播，增加了发生变异而在人类中间传播的可能性，从而造成数百万人死亡。

The chief of the World Health Organization says it is only a matter of time before avian flu infections in birds trigger a global pandemic of human influenza. WHO Director General Lee Jong-wook told a gathering of health experts in Geneva that, so far, a human pandemic has not begun -- but there are signs it is coming.

Officials say such a pandemic could kill millions of people and cost the global economy an estimated 800 billion dollars.

For now, bird to human flu transmissions are rare. Most of the some 120 reported H5N1 human flu victims in Asia had direct contact with infected birds, their feces or nasal secretions.

But health officials worry that as the virus spreads in birds, it increases the chance it could mutate into a form that passes easily among humans, killing millions.

中国称下一轮六方会谈举行三天 (China Says Next Six-Party Talks with North Korea to Last 3 Days)

中国表示，下一轮北韩核问题六方会谈将会持续3天。中国官方的新华社说，会谈星期三将在北京钓鱼台国宾馆开始，星期五结束。这是中国、北韩、韩国、美国、俄罗斯和日本举行的第5轮会谈。

所有各方都同意北韩应当放弃核项目，以换取能源援助和其它好处。不过，与会各方仍然有尖锐的分歧。

在9月举行的上一轮会谈后，平壤表示，它必须首先得到一座用于发电的民用轻水反应堆，否则不会放弃核武器。美国官员说，这种要求无法接受。

China says the next round of six-party talks on North Korean's nuclear program will last for three days.The official news agency, Xinhua, says the talks will begin Wednesday at the Diaoyu State Guest House in Beijing and last through Friday. This is the fifth round of talks involving China, the two Koreas, the United States, Russia and Japan.

All sides have agreed that North Korea would scrap its nuclear programs in exchange for energy assistance and other benefits. However, sharp differences among the parties remain.

After the previous round ended in September, Pyongyang said it will not disarm unless it is first given a civilian (light-water) nuclear reactor to generate electricity. U.S. officials said the demand is not acceptable.