倉鼠病毒使三人致死 - 倉鼠

英國 BBC 新聞

Hamster virus kills three people
(大標題) 倉鼠身上的病毒導致三人死亡

The virus is transmitted through rodent saliva, urine and faeces
(照片) 該種病毒是藉由囓齒動物的口水, 尿液, 及糞便傳播
(註: faeces = feces)

Three transplant patients in the US are believed to have died from
a virus that originated in a pet hamster.
(小標題) 美國三位接受移植的病患據信死於一種來自寵物倉鼠的病毒

A Rhode Island woman is thought to have caught the lymphocytic
choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) from her hamster shortly before her
unrelated death last month.
據推測,一個住羅德島的婦人從她得倉鼠身上感染了淋巴球性腦膜炎病毒(LCMV)
不久後就因為其他的因素而在上個月死亡
(註:換句話說,這個婦人不是死於LCMV,她只是身上帶了這個病毒)

Her organs were given to four people needing transplants.
Three have since died as a result of the infection.
她的器官移植到四位病患身上. 之後其中三位病患就死於 LCMV 的感染.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating,
but experts stressed LCMV is very rare.
疾病管制局正在調查此事, 但專家強調 LCMV 是非常罕見的.

"This is an extremely rare and unusual event"
David Gifford, director for Rhode Island's state health department
(小框框) 羅德島州健康管理局局長大衛吉佛表示,
"這是非常罕見且不尋常的事件"

David Gifford, director for Rhode Island's state health department,
said that, although donated organs were not routinely screened for
rodent viruses, patients on the waiting list for organs should not
be concerned.
羅德島州健康管理局局長大衛吉佛表示,雖然對捐贈器官上的囓齒動物病毒並
沒有作常規性的篩檢, 但是正在等待器官移植的病患毋須擔心

"This is an extremely rare and unusual event," he said.
他表示,這次的死亡事件是極罕見且不尋常的

LCMV infections have been reported in Europe, Australia and Japan.
在歐洲,澳洲,及日本都曾傳出 LCMV 感染

But the CDC said it was only the second time it had heard of
transmission of LCMV through organ transplants.
但是疾病管制局表示, 這僅是第二次聽聞 LCMV 藉由器官移植傳染

Two people who received the woman's corneas have yet to be traced.
目前尚未去追查另外兩位接受該名婦人捐贈角膜的病患

The officials are carrying out further tests on the woman's hamster,
which was found to be carrying LCMV.
官員正在對該婦人的倉鼠作進一步的檢測, 那隻倉鼠先前已經驗出帶有 LCMV

The virus typically causes only flu-like symptoms in humans and is
transmitted by contact with the rodent's saliva, urine or faeces.
這種病毒的典型症狀類似人類的感冒,並且透過囓齒動物的唾液,尿液,糞便傳染

However, transplant patients are vulnerable to more severe
complications because their immune defence system is suppressed
by the strong drugs they have to take to prevent their body
rejecting the donor organ.
然而,在接受移植前,為了避免手術後的排斥作用,病患必須使用強力的藥物
來抑制免疫系統,因此他們對於嚴重的併發症毫無防備

Bob Corfield, a spokesman for UK Transplant, said there had been no
recorded cases in the UK.
英國器官移植部門的發言人鮑伯考菲表示,在英國尚未有過類似案例的紀錄.

Although Britain does not test for LCMV, he said the risk of
infection was extremely low and that the current screening
of donors for viruses was highly effective.
他表示,雖然英國對於 LCMV 不作篩檢,但是感染該病毒的機率是微乎其微,
所以現行的捐贈器官者病毒篩檢在防治併發症上是非常有效的

"The organ donor's detailed health history is established.
A person's recent travel history is also checked.
"我們會建立器官捐贈者詳細的健康史, 連最近的旅遊記錄都不放過"

"Blood tests are carried out specifically for Hepatitis B and C,
HIV, CMV (Cytomegalovirus) syphillis and toxicology - a check to
see if anything in blood that should not be present.
"血液檢查可篩檢出 B肝,C肝,愛滋,巨細胞病毒,梅毒,中毒,以確認血液
中未帶有不該有的東西."

He said transplant success rates were constantly improving with 85%
of heart transplants, 87% of liver transplants and 93% of living
kidney grafts surviving the critical first year.
移植成功率持續提升,心臟移植已有85%成功率,肝臟移植是87%,而活體腎臟移植
患者有93%可撐過最危險的第一年

Despite these successes, he said there was still a chronic shortage
of donated organs in the UK and urged people to join donor registers.
雖然成功率日增,但鮑伯表示,英國長期以來仍舊缺少足夠的捐贈器官,並且呼籲
民眾加入器官捐贈登記的行列

Expert advice
Avoid contact with house mice
Wash your hands after handling pet rodents, their cages or bedding
Do not kiss your pet or hold it close to your mouth
Source: US CDC
(小框框)專家建議
避免與囓齒動物的嘴巴接觸
擁抱你的寵物,或是碰觸他們的籠具,墊材後,要洗手
別跟你的寵物玩親親,或是把他們抱近你的嘴巴
來源:美國疾病管理局

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