China and Thailand are fighting fresh outbreaks of the highly contagious bird flu, which killed 24 people in Southeast Asia earlier this year. Authorities in both China and Thailand assured frightened residents the new outbreaks of the deadly H5N1 strain of the avian flu were under control and the threat of a mass epidemic is unlikely. There have been no cases of transmission to humans in either country so far.In China, officials say the virus was discovered on a farm approximately 300 kilometers west of Shanghai. Residents of the infected farm have been quarantined and all poultry within two kilometers have been killed.Officials say they will strengthen a quarantine of local poultry markets to further reduce the risk to people in the area. Julie Hall of the World Health Organization says Chinese authorities are acting to contain the virus. "They’ve been able to detect these birds are getting sick and they’ve put in place the correct measures and enhance surveillance," she says.China announced it wiped out the lethal strain of the bird flu four months ago and blamed this most recent outbreak on migratory birds.In Thailand lab tests confirmed outbreaks on two farms in towns near Bangkok. Thousands of chickens on those farms have been destroyed and officials insist there is no evidence the disease has spread. This is the first confirmed outbreak in Thailand since April. Thailand is the world’s fourth largest exporter of chickens and bans on its poultry exports have damaged the national economy.Previous outbreaks of the deadly flu in Asia this year led to the destruction of 100 million fowl and fueled concerns of massive human fatalities. Sixteen people died in Vietnam and another eight in Thailand.The deadly H5N1 strain of the avian flu was first discovered in humans in Hong Kong in 1997. The flu is transmitted from live poultry to humans but doctors say it cannot be spread in cooked food and the risk of infection remains slight. When was the deadly avian flu first discovered in humans in the world()
A. 1997.
B. 1998.
C. 2003.
D. 2004.
A new report by the U.N. AIDS organizations finds the global AIDS epidemic is worsening. The agency says more people in all regions around the world are becoming infected with HIV, the virus which causes AIDS. UNAIDS reports significant progress has been made in providing treatment for larger numbers of AIDS victims and in achieving greater political and financial commitments in the fight against the fatal disease. Despite this, the report says none of these efforts has been enough to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS.Last year, the report notes five million people became newly infected with HIV. That is more people than any previous year. Currently, it says, more than 38 million people are living with the disease. UNAIDS Senior Adviser Karen Stanecki. says Asia, with 60 percent of the world’s population, is home to some of the fastest-growing epidemics in the world. In 2003 alone, she says, more than one million people became infected with HIV."Equally alarming, we have only just begun to witness the full impact of AIDS on African societies as infections continue to grow and people are dying in large numbers," said Ms. Stanecki. "The scale of the problem in Africa is well-documented, with over 25-million infections. If we do not act now,60 percent of today’s 15 year olds will not reach their 60th birthday."The report says the Caribbean is the hardest hit region in the world after Africa. It also finds the HIV/AIDS epidemic is continuing to expand in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, mainly due to intravenous drug users.UNAIDS says infections also are on the rise in the United States and Western Europe. It blames this largely on the widespread availability of anti-AIDS drugs, which it says has made some people in these wealthy countries complacent. UNAIDS Director of Monitoring and Evaluation, Paul De Lay, acknowledges that around the world prevention programs are reaching fewer than one in five people who need them. Nevertheless ,he says there has been a dramatic increase in prevention activities for young people and several other successes as well."In Africa, for instance ,60 percent of children have access to AIDS education both in primary and secondary schools, "said Mr. De Lay. "That is a huge increase from the late 1990’s. In highly vulnerable groups like sex workers, we are seeing a real success story in Africa. Thirty-two percent of sex workers who are identified have access to HIV prevention and there is a large increase in condom use in this population."The report says global spending on AIDS has increased greatly, but, more is needed. It estimates $12 billion will be needed by next year, and $ 20 billion by 2007, for prevention and care in developing countries. The United Nations says AIDS funding has increased sharply in recent years, in part due to the U.S. government’s global AIDS initiative. But it says still, globally less than half the money needed is being provided. Which is the following is fight about the current AIDS situation in Africa()
A. The full impact of AIDS on African societies has come to an end this year.
B. Africa is the hardest hit region by AIDS in the world.
C. In Africa 60 percent of its population have access to AIDS education.
D. Sex workers in Africa have received better protections from AIDS.