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Governments, Competitors Cooperate to Produce Ebola Vaccine

The worst Ebola outbreak in history is in its second year, and scientists around the world are working to develop a vaccine against the virus. Since December of 2013, when the Ebola outbreak began in West Africa, the World Health Organization reports more than 20,000 people have been infected with the virus, and of those, more than 8,000 people have died.

These researchers are working on a vaccine that could be among the first to be used in West Africa's Ebola epidemic. This laboratory near Rome is owned by pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, or GSK.

Several teams are working on Ebola vaccines. All say they have sped up the production process because of the urgent need and the number of lives at risk. In November, GSK said the first trial of this vaccine was well-tolerated and produced an immune response in all of the 20 healthy adult volunteers who received it.

The GSK vaccine promotes the production of antibodies and also triggers an immune response of certain cells which destroy infected cells. Dr. Riccardo Cortese heads this laboratory.

"The Ebola virus can't be kept under control by a vaccine that stimulates antibodies only. There is solid evidence that traditional vaccines are not enough. Our vaccine. instead, also stimulates another important branch of the immune system, the one that stimulates killer T cells that are able to recognize infected cells. The combination between two strategies is effective against Ebola," said Cortese.

GSK says more trials are still needed before the vaccine will be ready for widespread use.

Merck, another pharmaceutical giant, announced it is resuming trials of a vaccine known by the code name VSV-ZEBOV. A trial of this vaccine was suspended December 11, 2014, after some of the volunteers reported having mild joint pain. Trials are continuing with a lower dose of the potential vaccine.

The situation in West Africa has created unusual partnerships. At a recent forum in Washington, Dr. Julie Gerberding, the president of Merck, said even rival pharmaceutical companies are working together.

"There are some very special partnerships that are going on here. And one of them is the partnership between the people who are traditionally competitors," said Gerberding.

Several potential vaccines are being developed and are now in clinical trials. This increases the possibility of developing at least one that is effective against Ebola. And if more than one is effective, so much the better. It would increase the chances of that large numbers of people could be immunized, and bring the outbreak to an end. It could also mean there would never again be another Ebola epidemic as bad as this one.

词汇解析

largely

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

adv.大部分；主要地

参考例句

用作副词 (adv.)

The farming area is centered largely in the south.

农业区大部分集中在南方。

However, in the East, there were many solar deities, including the Greek Helios, who was largely displaced by Apollo.

然而，在东方，有很多太阳神，包括希腊的太阳神，主要地是以阿波罗来命名。

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flee

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

vi.逃走；消失；逃避；(时间)飞逝

vt.逃离

参考例句

用作不及物动词 (vi.)

He tried to flee from the police in a stolen car.

他企图驾驶一辆偷来的车从警察局逃走。

He should not flee from responsibility.

他不应逃避责任。

用作及物动词 (vt.)

Many refugees have been forced to flee their homeland.

很多难民被迫逃离了祖国。

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reduce

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

v.减少；缩小；使落魄；简化；还原

参考例句

用作动词 (v.)

We need to reduce our dependence on oil as a source of energy.

在能源方面,我们需减少对石油的依赖。

Electrons from water involved in noncyclic photophosphorylation are used to reduce the added substance.

非循环光合磷酸化中由水提供的电子被用来还原产物。

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revenge

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

n.报仇；报复；报复心；雪耻机会

vt.报复；报仇

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

They vowed revenge on their enemies.

他们发誓要向敌人报仇。

用作及物动词 (vt.)

They thirsted to revenge themselves upon the enemy.

他们渴望向敌人报复。

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overnight

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

adv.在夜里；过夜；突然

adj.整晚的；很快的

参考例句

用作副词 (adv.)

All arrangements for your stay overnight on September10 will, of course, be made by us at our expense.

当然,所有安排您在9月10日晚间夜宿的费用,将皆由本公司代为支付。

用作形容词 (adj.)

The actress won overnight fame with her first film.

这个女演员的第一部电影使她一举成名。

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legislation

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

n.法律；法规；立法

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

The government will introduce legislation to restrict the sale of firearms.

政府将制定法规限制枪支出售。

The conservationists will not take kindly to the legislation.

自然资源保护论者对这项立法不会做出善意的反应。

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silence

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.沉默；寂静

vt.使安静；使沉默

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

His forceful arguments reduced his opponents to silence.

他那有力的论点驳得对手哑口无言。

用作及物动词 (vt.)

The enemy's guns were silenced by repeated bombings.

敌人的炮火因遭到轮番轰炸而沉寂了。

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