A genetic discovery could help explain why flu makes some people seriously ill or kills them, while others seem able to bat it away with little more than a few aches, coughs and sneezes.
一個基因上的發現或有助於解釋為何流感讓某些人重病或致死，而其他人則似乎僅是一些酸痛、咳嗽與打噴嚏就沒事了。
In a study published in the journal Nature, British and American researchers said they had found for the first time a human gene that influences how people respond to flu infections, making some people more susceptible than others.
在一篇發表於「自然」期刊的研究中，英美研究人員表示，他們首度發現一個影響人們如何回應流感感染的人類基因，該基因使某些人較其他人更易受病毒影響。
The finding helps explain why during the 2009/2010 pandemic of H1N1 or "swine flu", the vast majority of people infected had only mild symptoms, while others - many of them healthy young adults - got seriously ill and died.
這項發現有助於解釋為何在2009、2010年H1N1或「豬流感」流行期間，絕大部分的感染者僅出現輕微症狀，而其他─當中許多是健康的年輕成人─則病重、死亡。
In future, the genetic discovery could help doctors screen patients to identify those more likely to be brought down by flu, allowing them to be selected for priority vaccination or preventative treatment during outbreaks, the researchers said.
未來，這個基因發現或許有助於醫師篩檢病患，以鑑別那些較可能被流感擊倒的人，讓他們在流感爆發期間優先接種疫苗或接受預防性治療，研究人員指出。
Paul Kellam of Britain’s Sanger Institute, who co-led the study, said the gene, called IFITM3, appeared to be a "crucial first line of defense" against flu.
共同領導該研究的英國桑格研究院專家保羅．凱倫指出，稱為 IFITM3的基因顯然是流感的「第一道關鍵防線」。
When IFITM3 was present in large quantities, the spread of the virus in lungs was hindered, he explained. But when IFITM3 levels were lower, the virus could replicate and spread more easily, causing more severe symptoms.（Reuters）
當IFITM3數量龐大時，病毒在肺部的散佈便受阻，他解釋。而當IFITM3數值較低，病毒恐更易複製與散佈，進而引發較嚴重的症狀。（路透）
新聞辭典
little more than︰只是…而已、僅僅。例句︰He’s little more than a puppet.（他只是一個傀儡罷了。）
susceptible︰形容詞，易受影響的、敏感的。例句︰She is very susceptible to colds.（她很容易感冒。）
bring down︰片語，撂倒、擊敗，也有縮減、降低之意。例句︰The baby’s fever was brought down after treatment.（經過治療後，寶寶的發燒減退。）
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