It was isolated from monkeys in 1947 in the Zika rainforest in Uganda and since then

1947年，它從烏干達的茲卡雨林的猴子體內分離出來，在那之後

it hasn't really bothered humans much at all. Until now. The Zika virus appeared in Brazil

它就對人類幾乎沒有影響。直到現在，茲卡病毒於2015年

for the first time in 2015, and more than a million people have been infected since then.

首次在巴西出現，超過一百萬人遭受感染。

Just to put that into perspective, the last largest outbreak happened in french polynesia

正確來說，最近一次的病毒大爆發發生在法屬玻里尼西亞

and it really only spread around to a couple hundred people.

而且它只散播到數百人身上

80% of people with the virus don't have symptoms at all.

80%感染茲卡病毒的人完全沒有症狀

The others have mild symptoms including fever and a rash.

其他的人有輕微的症狀，例如發燒及紅疹

So here's why public health officials are concerned.

這就是為什麼公共衛生官員如此關切的原因

Now we're learning that when pregnant women contract Zika, they can pass it on to their fetuses

現在我們知道，當懷孕的女人感染茲卡，她們會傳遞給她們的胎兒

and this in turn can cause terrible birth defects. This is microcephaly. It's a birth defect

這接著會造成可怕的生理缺陷。這是小頭症。它是一個生理缺陷

that involves incomplete head and brain development. So they look like they have very small heads,

包含了不完整的頭以及大腦發育。所以患者看起來有著非常小的頭

and what that means is that they're basically mentally disabled, they have a shorter life expectancy

意味著他們基本上是心智不全，他們的壽命也比較短

and it's just an absolutely devastating disease. Microcephaly has multiple causes, but officials think

小頭症完全是個致命性的疾病。它有多種發生的原因，但官員認為

it might also be linked to Zika. That's why public health officials in Latin America

它也和茲卡病毒有關聯。這也是為什麼拉丁美洲

and the Caribbean are cautioning women not to get pregnant right now.

以及加勒比海的公共衛生官員警告女性現今不要懷孕

In the US the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention took a similarly extreme measure

美國疾病控制與預防中心也實施了類似的極端措施

when they issued an unprecedented travel advisory telling women who are pregnant to avoid traveling

他們發佈了前所未有的旅遊警示，勸戒懷孕中的女性

to countries in Latin America where the virus is circulating.

避免前往如拉丁美洲等病毒流傳的地區旅遊。

That included their very own territory, Puerto Rico. Zika virus is carried by mosquitos.

包括他們自己的領土：波多黎各。茲卡病毒經由蚊子傳染

It might be transmitted through sex as well. And the type of mosquitos that spread Zika

它也可能透過性行為傳染。帶原茲卡病毒的這種蚊子

live in warm areas all over the world, including the US.

生存在全世界的溫暖區域，包括美國

The main vector for this disease is called the Aedes aegypti, and it's mostly found along the southern US.

茲卡病毒最主要的帶原者是埃及斑蚊，它主要在南美出現

But there's some question about whether it's also carried by another mosquito

但現在懷疑茲卡病毒也可能經由另一種蚊子傳染

called the Aedes albopictus and that has a much broader range.

這種蚊子叫做白線斑蚊，它的生存範圍更廣大

Right now there's no cure or treatment for Zika.

現今沒有治療茲卡病毒的方法

They're working on vaccines but that could take years. So really the only way to protect yourself

科學家正致力於製造疫苗，但這需要幾年來實行。所以唯一能保護自己的方法

is to try not to get bitten by mosquitos, which is difficult to do.

就是避免被蚊子叮咬，但是這是件困難的事情

It's especially important that pregnant women are aware of the risk.

懷孕的女性要特別重視這個疾病的危險性

There needs to be a lot of awareness about the virus

大眾要強烈意識到這個病毒本身

and about this potential damage to the fetus later.

以及病毒會對胎兒所造成的潛在傷害