Blogs
ScA 60S 111031 Robins Found Guilty in West Nile Virus Spread
West Nile virus first appeared in North America in 1999. And it quickly moved across the continent. Now a study has pinned the proliferation on a particular culprit: robins. The work is published in the journal Science.
1999年，西尼罗病毒第一次出现于北美，接着就很快席卷了整个北美洲。最近《科学》杂志上一篇文章表明他们为病毒的蔓延找到了真凶：知更鸟。
A variety of animals can serve as hosts for West Nile, but the virus primarily spreads through a few species of mosquitoes that usually feed on birds, and those bird species, which become viral hosts. Robins may not be the most abundant of birds, but mosquitoes find their blood particularly tasty, frequently feeding on them and turning them into viral “super-spreaders.”
西尼罗病毒其实有很多寄主，但它主要是在几种蚊子之间传播，而这些蚊子主要靠吸食鸟类的血为生，因此这些鸟类也成了病毒的寄主。知更鸟数量不多，但蚊类似乎觉得它的血液最为可口，因此导致知更鸟成为了西尼罗病毒的“超级传播者”。
In fact, the virus may be why the once-growing robin population has leveled off. The mosquitoes and birds responsible for West Nile’s spread abound where people also live, raising the odds that a mosquito that picked up the virus feeding on a robin could transmit it to a person.
事实上，也许正是这种病毒使曾经一度上升的知更鸟数量最终趋于平稳。如果人类生存在病毒寄主-蚊类和知更鸟的活动区，病毒通过蚊类传播给人类的几率也就大大增加了。
A variety of animals can serve as hosts for West Nile, but the virus primarily spreads through a few species of mosquitoes that usually feed on birds, and those bird species, which become viral hosts. Robins may not be the most abundant of birds, but mosquitoes find their blood particularly tasty, frequently feeding on them and turning them into viral “super-spreaders.”
西尼罗病毒其实有很多寄主，但它主要是在几种蚊子之间传播，而这些蚊子主要靠吸食鸟类的血为生，因此这些鸟类也成了病毒的寄主。知更鸟数量不多，但蚊类似乎觉得它的血液最为可口，因此导致知更鸟成为了西尼罗病毒的“超级传播者”。
In fact, the virus may be why the once-growing robin population has leveled off. The mosquitoes and birds responsible for West Nile’s spread abound where people also live, raising the odds that a mosquito that picked up the virus feeding on a robin could transmit it to a person.
事实上，也许正是这种病毒使曾经一度上升的知更鸟数量最终趋于平稳。如果人类生存在病毒寄主-蚊类和知更鸟的活动区，病毒通过蚊类传播给人类的几率也就大大增加了。
Knowing that the spread of mosquito-borne disease depends on the insects’ feeding habits could help researchers predict and prevent the spread of new pathogens. As Dickenson said, hope is the thing with feathers. Even if it’s infected.
了解蚊媒病的传播主要依赖于蚊类的食性，很好的帮助了研究人员确定新的病原体并预防其传播。正如狄更斯所写的：希望是有羽翼的生命。即使这些生灵被感染了~
