5.梅毒
Think of syphilis as the granddaddy of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). One of the oldest on the books, it's suspected to have affected many over the centuries, including England's King Henry VIII and composer Franz Schubert.
论及梅毒，这可是性传播疾病的祖师爷。在一些书中，作者怀疑几个世纪以来很多人都感染了梅毒，包括英国国王亨利八世和作曲家弗朗茨·舒伯特。
Syphilis is highly contagious because symptoms are often confused with other problems, if they're apparent at all. Sores can be easily mistaken for mundane annoyances like ingrown hairs, for example, or they hide in the anus or other crevices. If left untreated, syphilis can progress through the uncomfortable first and second stages into the third stage, which is characterized by dementia, heart disease, organ failure and other serious, life-threatening issues. No wonder it was referred to in centuries past as the "great pox" or just "the pox." This disease used to be very widespread. In the early 1900s, it was estimated that 10 to 15 percent of the U.S. population had syphilis. After the introduction of penicillin in the 1940s, the death rate tumbled. Incidence of primary and secondary syphilis in the U.S. in 2013 was down to around 5.3 cases per 100,000 people (but double the all-time low rate reported in 2000 of 2.1). Prevention and early treatment of this disease is urged to prevent resurgence and other long-term health complications.
梅毒有着极高的传染性，因为它比较明显的症状和其他一些疾病相似，所以容易混淆。比如梅毒的疮很可能被误诊为像毛发内生这样的普通疾病，或者它们会藏在肛门和其它身体缝隙中。如果不及时治疗，梅毒会从一期的身体不适发展到二期、三期的严重状态，包括痴呆、心脏疾病、器官衰竭和其它严重威胁生命的症状。难怪梅毒在过去的几个世纪都被称为“大疱疹”或简称为“疱疹”。梅毒曾经广泛传播。在20世纪初期，估算有百分之十到十五的美国人感染了梅毒。20世纪40年代引进青霉素以后，死亡率大幅降低。2013年，梅毒一期和二期的发病率降低到了5.3例每十万人（但仍是2000年所报道数据的两倍多，2000年的梅毒发病率空前的低，平均2.1例每十万人）。预防措施和初期的治疗十分重要，可以避免梅毒的复发以及其它影响健康的长期并发症的产生。
4.流感
Every year, influenza (or "the flu") does its best to confound vaccine-producing scientists. Sometimes vaccines work pretty well, and other years they miss the mark a bit. This is because flu viruses constantly change, leaving vaccine makers to take an educated guess at creating a treatment that will effectively combat that year's most common strains.
每一年，那些研发疫苗的科学家们都因为流感病毒而措手不及。在与流感的对抗中，疫苗时而“凯旋”时而“败北”。这是因为流感病毒不断变异，疫苗生产商们只能依据这些变异的病毒作出相应推断并创建新的治疗方法，用以抵御当年最广为传播的致病菌株。
Most of the time, seasonal flu causes significant illness and discomfort in the form of fever, chills and body ache, but this highly contagious illness usually isn't life-threatening. Certain groups are at higher risk, like people over age 65, young children, people with compromised immune systems and pregnant women. Flu outbreaks have occurred that devastated populations, however. The worst on record was probably the 1918 outbreak that killed approximately 40 million people worldwide . Science today appears to be on our side, thankfully. In 2014, there were 250,000 to 500,000 deaths from influenza worldwide.
季节性流感多会引发重大疾病，给人带来不适。患者会出现发高烧、打寒颤、身体酸痛等症状。尽管如此，这一高传染性疾病通常并不会威胁到人的生命。65岁以上的老人、免疫力低下的人以及孕妇则属于高危人群。然而，流感的爆发也曾引发大规模的人口死亡。有记录以来最为惨痛的当属1918年爆发的那一场流感，造成全球约4000万人死亡。值得庆幸的是，今天我们似乎能够与科学并肩作战，一道对抗流感。2014年，全球有25至50万人死于流感。
3.子宫颈癌
As recently as the 1940s, the leading cause of death among women in the U.S. was cervical cancer. But the advent of the Papanicolaou(Pap) test contributed to a 60 percent decline in cervical cancer death rates and incidence in the United States between 1955 and 1992. The test, which is typically administered during annual gynecological visits, can identify precancerous cells before they have a chance to get out of control.
早在40年代，子宫颈癌就已成为美国女性死亡的主因。随着巴氏试验的成功诞生，1955至1992年间美国女性子宫颈癌的死亡率及发病率都降低了60%。每年的妇科检查项目都包含有这一测试，能在癌症前期细胞发生变异之前对其进行识别。
Pap tests check for the presence of human papillomavirus, some versions of which are transmitted sexually, and can cause cell changes that result in cervical cancer. In recent years, experts have begun encouraging adolescent girls to receive the HPV vaccine, which can altogether prevent certain types of the virus. Nearly 4,000 women died in 2010 of cervical cancer, although the rate is dropping by the year. "Within our lifetimes, we may see a country free of women dying from cervical cancer if screening and vaccination is done in an appropriate and timely way," explains David Espey, M.D., acting director in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at CDC.
有几种型别的人乳头瘤病毒是通过性传播造成细胞变异，从而使人患上子宫颈癌。巴氏试验则可对现有型别的人乳头瘤病毒进行检测。近些年，专家开始鼓励年轻女性接种HPV疫苗，该疫苗可预防多种病毒。虽然死亡率逐年下降，但2010年仍有近4000名女性死于子宫颈癌。疾控中心癌症防控科代理主任医学博士戴维埃·斯佩表示：“如若做好疫苗接种并定期接受检查，在我们的有生之年也许就可以看到这样一个国度，在这个国度里女性同胞们都逃离了子宫颈癌的死亡魔爪。”
2.疟疾
Mosquitos pack the potential for more than just annoying, itchy red bumps. In fact, they transmit the Plasmodium parasite that causes malaria, which is characterized by chills, sweating and fever, among other symptoms. Although it has been largely eradicated in North America, the Caribbean and much of Europe, malaria is still a serious concern in tropical and subtropical countries, particularly in Africa and Asia.
蚊子不仅能叮咬出令人发痒且抓狂的红疙瘩，事实上它们还会传播诱发疟疾的疟原虫寄生虫。疟疾的发病特征包括发热，打冷颤，浑身出汗等症状。尽管在北美、加勒比海和欧洲大部分地区，这种疾病已经被大幅根除。但是在热带和亚热带，尤其是亚非洲国家，疟疾仍然是一个严重的问题。
Public health initiatives have rendered malaria both preventable and treatable, as long as it's done correctly and quickly. Rapid diagnostic tests, followed by tailored antimalarial treatments have saved at least 3 million lives since 2000. Between 2000 and 2013, global deaths from malaria have fallen 42 percent. As with most of these diseases, prevention with such new technologies as insecticide-treated bed nets is encouraged by infectious disease experts.
公共卫生组织表示只要处理得正确及时，疟疾是可以预防和治愈的。从2000年起，快速诊断测试和专门的抗疟疾治疗已经拯救了至少300万人的生命。2000年和2013年间，全球疟疾死亡人数下降了42%。传染病研究专家提议，针对这种疾病的预防可以使用经过杀虫剂处理的蚊帐。
1.肺炎
Pneumonia is sneaky, to say the least. It often strikes in the midst of another illness, like bronchitis or the flu. But it's a lot less of a death sentence than it used to be. In 1900, it was the No. 1 cause of death in the U.S. In 2006, pneumonia was the eighth most common cause of death, along with influenza.
肺炎很狡猾，常常伴随着另一种疾病，如支气管炎或流感出现，但是它导致的死亡人数已比以前要少很多了。1900年肺炎是美国位列第一的致死病因。2006年，肺炎与流感在常见死因中并列第八。
Caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses or other small germs, pneumonia occurs when said germs reach and infect one or both lungs. Although it is typically treatable, pneumonia is sometimes difficult to get under control, and can cause difficulty breathing, lung abscess and other complications. Bacteria can also invade the bloodstream, potentially causing organ failure. Experts typically advise high-risk groups, particularly people over age 65, to be vaccinated to prevent getting sick or experiencing complications.
当真菌、球菌、病霉或其他微小病菌接触了肺部，就会引起感染从而导致肺炎。尽管肺炎一般可以治愈，但有时很难控制住，可能会引起呼吸困难，肺脓溃疡和其他并发症。细菌也可以侵入血液，可能会导致器官衰竭。通常专家建议高危人群，尤其是在65岁以上的老人接种疫苗以预防感染疾病或并发症。
审校：Fiona 编辑：listen 来源：前十网
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