醫(yī)學英語雙語閱讀：致命的軍團桿菌

　　Legionnaires' disease is a serious and sometimes fatal form of pneumonia. Legionnaires' disease is caused by infection with Legionella bacteria which are found naturally in the environment and thrive in warm water and warm damp places. Man-made water systems sometimes provide environments that let Legionella bacteria increase to large numbers. These man-made systems include showers, spa pools, fountains, and air conditioning cooling towers. People usually get Legionnaires' disease by breathing in mists that come from a water source contaminated with Legionella bacteria.

　　An estimated 8,000 to 18,000 people get Legionnaires' disease in the United States each year. Some people can be infected with Legionella bacteria and have mild symptoms or no illness at all. Patients with Legionnaires' disease usually have fever, chills, and a cough, which may be dry or may produce sputum. Some patients also have muscle aches, headache, tiredness, loss of appetite, and, occasionally, diarrhea. From the time of infection with Legionella bacteria, it takes 2-10 days for symptoms to appear. In most cases, symptoms begin after 5-6 days. Legionnaires' disease is treated with antibiotics, such as erythromycin. The earlier that treatment is begun, the better the outcome.

　　The first known outbreak of Legionnaires' disease was in Philadelphia, USA, in 1976. A total of 221 people contracted the disease and 34 died. Most of those that died were Legionnaires and that's how the disease got its name. The second largest outbreak was at the Stafford hospital in England in 1985; a total of 101 people contracted the disease and 28 died.

　　軍團病是一種非常嚴重的、有時可以致命的肺炎。軍團病是由軍團桿菌引起，這種細菌產(chǎn)生在自然環(huán)境中，在溫水里及潮熱的地方蔓延。人工供水系統(tǒng)有時也能為軍團桿菌的大量繁殖提供生存環(huán)境。這些系統(tǒng)包括淋浴器、礦泉池、噴泉以及空調(diào)設(shè)備的冷卻水塔。人們通常是由于呼吸了被軍團桿菌污染的水源散發(fā)的水霧而傳染上軍團病的。

　　據(jù)估計，在美國每年都有國每年都有8000~18000人感染上軍團病。有些軍團病感染者所表現(xiàn)出來的癥狀比較溫和，甚至根本就沒有得病的跡象。軍團病患者通常有發(fā)燒、畏寒及干咳或咳痰等表現(xiàn)。部分患者還有肌肉疼痛、頭痛、疲勞、食欲不振及偶爾腹瀉等癥狀。這種病的潛伏期約為的潛天。許多病例表明，出現(xiàn)癥狀需要狀需要5~6天的時間。軍團病可以用紅霉素等抗生素進行治療，越早治療效果越好。

　　軍團病已知的首次爆發(fā)是在發(fā)是1976年美國費城，221人感染疾病，其中死亡34人。由于大多的死者都是軍團成員，因此稱為軍團病。該病的第二次大爆發(fā)是1985年在英國的斯塔福德醫(yī)院。這次101個被感染者中有28人死亡。