瘟疫肆虐的草原土撥鼠，對科羅拉多的游客構成威脅

瘟疫肆虐的草原土撥鼠，對科羅拉多的游客構成威脅

Officials at a Colorado wildlife refuge are cautiously moving forward with a plan to reopen parts of their facility this week in the wake of a plague outbreak amongst prairie dogs in the area. The Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge was shut down after plague-infected prairie dogs were found weeks ago, and parts of the refuge will remain closed to visitors even as the location reopens its doors to the public.

科羅拉多州一家野生動物保護區(qū)的官員正在謹慎地推進一項計劃，該計劃將于本周重新開放該保護區(qū)的部分設施。此前，該地區(qū)草原犬鼠中爆發(fā)了一場瘟疫。落落基山脈阿森納國家野生動物保護區(qū)，數(shù)周前發(fā)現(xiàn)感染了鼠疫的草原土撥鼠后被關閉，即使該保護區(qū)重新向公眾開放，部分保護區(qū)仍將對游客關閉。

The refuge, which spans nearly 16,000 acres, is typically open for tourists to come and enjoy the natural splendor, but that changed in late July when park officials decided to lock the doors as they dealt with the plague-ridden animals.

該保護區(qū)占地近1.6萬英畝，通常對游客開放，讓他們來這里享受自然美景，但在7月下旬，情況發(fā)生了變化，公園官員決定在處理這種受瘟疫困擾的動物時把門鎖上。

The spread of the plague-causing bacteria is linked to fleas, and as those fleas spread from animal to animal, the plague’s reach widens. It’s even possible, health officials warn, that the fleas can jump to pets and even humans, posing a significant health concern for visitors.

引起鼠疫的細菌的傳播與跳蚤有關，隨著跳蚤在動物之間傳播，鼠疫的傳播范圍擴大。衛(wèi)生官員警告說，跳蚤甚至可能跳到寵物身上，甚至人類身上，這對游客構成了嚴重的健康威脅。

AP

The refuge is now once again accepting visitors but some areas are still off-limits. In a bulletin posted on its website, the refuge explains that the closed areas will be clearly marked, and are expected to be cleared for visitors again sometime early in September, though no firm date was offered.

該保護區(qū)現(xiàn)在再次接納游客，但一些地區(qū)仍然是禁區(qū)。該保護區(qū)在其網(wǎng)站上發(fā)布的公告中解釋說，這些封閉區(qū)域?qū)⒈磺宄貥耸境鰜?，預計將在9月初的某個時候再次對游客開放，不過沒有給出具體日期。

While the refuge says that “conditions at the refuge support reopening to the public,” officials still recommend avoiding all areas inhabited by prairie dogs. It’s also advised that all visitors avoid physical contact with any prairie dogs or rodents in the refuge, and strictly prohibits feeding or playing with any of the potentially infected animals.

雖然保護區(qū)說“保護區(qū)的條件支持向公眾重新開放”，但官員們?nèi)匀唤ㄗh避開所有草原土撥鼠居住的地區(qū)。此外，所有游客應避免與保護區(qū)內(nèi)的草原土撥鼠或嚙齒動物有身體接觸，并嚴格禁止喂食或與任何可能受感染的動物玩耍。

In its bulletin, the refuge also recommends using a repellent if you plan on visiting the area, such as those containing DEET, which tends to do a good job of keeping bugs such as fleas from latching on.

該保護區(qū)在公告中還建議，如果你打算去該地區(qū)游覽，可以使用驅(qū)蚊劑，比如含有避蚊胺的驅(qū)蚊劑，避蚊胺能很好地防止跳蚤等蟲子叮咬。