日本梅毒病例快速增多

TOKYO —Japan has a rapidly increasingly number of syphilis patients including among young women prompting the health ministry to launch a special research team to find out ways to stop the spread of the sexually transmitted infection.

東京報道——日本出現了快速增長的梅毒病例，包括在年輕婦女當中，這促使衛生部發起了一個特別的研究團隊以尋找方法來阻止不斷擴大的性傳播疾病。

According to data based on reports filed by hospitals across Japan the number of syphilis patients totaled 4259 as of early December up 77% from 2412 in the corresponding period a year earlier and more than seven-fold from a decade ago.

根據全日本醫院填寫的報告所提供的數據，截止到12月初，梅毒患者共4259例，相比去年同期的2412例，同比上升了77%，和10年前相比，翻了7倍還不止。

The infection is believed to have spread mainly through heterosexual intercourse. But the number of mother-to-child transmissions which has been very rare in Japan is also on the rise.

這些傳染被認爲主要通過異性之間的性行爲進行傳播。但是以往在日本非常罕見的母嬰傳播的數量也在攀升中。

The Ministry of Health Labor and Welfare has been urging people who feel they may have been infected to be tested immediately as the disease can be transmitted despite the absence of symptoms.

日本衛生福利部已經敦促那些感覺已經被傳染的人立刻接受檢測，因爲該病可能在沒有症狀的情況下進行傳播。

Infections are especially rife in Tokyo’s Shinjuku Ward where numerous entertainment and nightlife businesses operate with the number of syphilis patients reported by hospitals in the ward accounting for 40 percent of Tokyo’s total and 20 percent of cases across the whole of Japan.

東京新宿區的傳染擴散得尤爲嚴重，這裏聚集了大量得夜生活場所，據醫院統計這裏有着全東京40%、全日本20%的梅毒患者。