Dengue Outbreak in Bangladesh - Academic Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key vocabulary, collocations, and idioms from the New York Times article on the deadly dengue outbreak in Bangladesh.

a deadly outbreak (of)

a sudden, rapid spread of a dangerous disease that causes deaths

the most severe in the country's history

worse than anything of its kind that the country has ever experienced

a combination of factors

several different causes acting together to produce a result

contribute to the rise of

to be one of the causes that make something increase or appear

resulting in

causing a particular outcome; leading to

densely populated

having a very large number of people living in a small area

copious amounts of

very large quantities of something

intravenous fluids (IV)

liquids given directly into a patient's vein for medical treatment

preventive measures

actions taken to stop something bad from happening before it occurs

public health expert

a specialist in protecting and improving the health of communities

news briefing

an official meeting where information is given to journalists

fatalities

deaths caused by an accident, disaster, or disease

undergo treatment (for)

to receive medical care for an illness

be home to

to be the place where someone or something lives or is found

so far

until now; up to the present moment

strain scarce resources

to put heavy pressure on limited supplies of money, staff, or equipment

fast-spreading infections

illnesses that pass from person to person very quickly

an overwhelmed hospital system

a hospital network with far more patients than it can properly handle

record a death / deaths

to officially register that a death has occurred

face shortages of

to experience a situation of not having enough of something needed

rehydrate patients

to restore lost water and fluids to sick people's bodies

demand rises

the need or desire for something increases

add to the severity of the crisis

to make an already serious situation even worse

a mosquito-borne virus

a virus carried and transmitted to humans by mosquitoes

spread to all 64 districts

to reach and affect every administrative area of the country

cause piercing headaches

to produce extremely sharp, intense head pain

worsen weather patterns

to make regular weather conditions more extreme or harmful

a favorable breeding environment

conditions that help animals or insects reproduce easily

carry the virus

to have a virus in the body and be able to pass it to others

clogged drainage systems

water-removal pipes and channels that are blocked and cannot flow

standing water

water that stays in one place and does not flow away

cases decline / increase

the number of infections falls / grows

deploy experts

to send specialists to a place so they can start working

test positive for

to receive a medical test result showing that one has a disease

the rainy season

the period of the year when most rain falls in tropical regions

lack proper measures

to not have suitable or adequate actions in place

contain the outbreak

to stop a disease from spreading beyond its current area

suffer from

to experience something unpleasant, especially an illness

on the ground

in the actual place where something is happening, not from a distance

battle infections

to fight continuously against a disease over a long period

a beleaguered infrastructure

public systems (roads, water, power) under constant pressure and difficulty

a breeding ground (for)

a place with perfect conditions for something (often bad) to develop

the warming planet

the Earth as it becomes hotter because of climate change

see cases / deaths

to experience or witness events (of a place or period)

the biggest threat

the most serious danger among several

work around the clock

to work continuously, day and night, without stopping