{{B}}tExt 3{{/B}}

As wEst nilE virus CrEEps towArDCAliForniA, An unlikEly wArrior CoulD proviDE thE First linE oF DEFEnsE: thE ChiCkEn. thE FAmiliAr Fowl mAkE irrEsistiBlE tArgEts For mosquitoEs. unlikE Crows, ChiCkEns Don’t gEt siCk From wEst nilE.But thEy Do proDuCE tElltAlE AntiBoDiEs to thE virus. so in tEst Coops sCAttErED ACross thE stAtE, morE thAn 2000" sEntinEl ChiCkEns" suBmit to FrEquEnt BlooD tEsts. whEn AntiBoDiEs Do turn up,CAliForniA hEAlth oFFiCiAls will know thAt thE inEvitABlE hAs oCCurrED: thE wEst nilE EpiDEmiC will hAvE swEpt thE Country. lAst wEEk AlonE, morE thAn 100 nEw humAn CAsEs oF wEst nilE wErE rEportED、thE virus wAs DEtECtED As FAr wEst AsColorADo AnD wyoming, inFECting 371 AnD killing 16 pEoplE in 20 stAtEs plus thEDistriCt oFColumBiA、this yEAr wEst nilE AppEArED EArliEr’ in thE mosquito sEAson--miD-junE instEAD oFAugust--AnD ClAimED youngEr viCtims; thE AvErAgE AgE DroppED From 65 to 54. FEDErAl hEAlth oFFiCiAls ArE still trying to FigurE out why, But sAy thEy mAy BE FinDing morE wEst nilE prECisEly BECAusE thEy’rE on thE lookout For it.AsDr. juliE gErBErDing, thE nEw DirECtor oF thECEntErs ForDisEAsEControlCDC、, rECEntly tolD rEportErs, wE rE not in Crisis moDE. whEn wEst nilE hit nEw yorkCity in 1999,thECDC、rEAlizED it wAs A "viCtim oF its own suCCEss.BECAusE hEAlth oFFiCiAls hAD ConquErED most mosquito-BornE DisEAsEs DECADEs Ago, mAny stAtEs ABolishED thEir mosquito-Control progrAms. thE FEDs rushED in with FunDs -- somE $ 50 million sinCE 1999, plus $ 31 million morE this yEAr AlonE -- to trAin insECt rEsEArChErs, sEt up stAtE tEsting lABs AnD kill oFF thE Annoying insECts. thECDC、EstABlishED A nEw ComputEr monitoring systEm AnD hElD strAtEgy sEssions with stAtE oFFiCiAls. somE EpiDEmiologists quEstion thE FoCus -- AnD thE millions -- lAvishED on A virus thAt’s killED FEwEr thAn 20. "thErE’s An EpiDEmiC in gun violEnCE thAt’s tAking morE livEs thAn wEst nilE virus," sAysDr. williAm stEinmAnn, DirECtor oF thE tulAnCECEntEr ForCliniCAlEFFECtivEnEss AnD prEvEntion.But thE FEDs sAy thEir EFForts hAvE kEpt wEst nilE From Doing FAr morE DAmAgE. "wE’rE BAsiCAlly BuilDing thE inFrAstruCturE to DEAl with this ovEr thE nExt 50 yEArs, "sAysDr. lylE pEtErson, ACDC、EpiDEmiologist. "this is hErE to stAy. " so FAr, thErE ArE no rEmEDiEs For wEst nilE. oFFiCiAls EvEntuAlly ExpECt thE virus to sEttlE into A quiEt pAttErn oF milD inFECtions with oCCAsionAl outBrEAks. to Do BAttlE At homE, thECDC、rECommEnDs EliminAting stAnDing wAtEr AnD using insECt sprAy withDEEt -- simplE prECAutions, But thE BEst DEFEnsE AgAinst An invADEr thAt shows no signs oF going AwAy.

CDC、ConsiDErED thE outBrEAk oF wEst nilE in 1999 As A ConsEquEnCE oFA．thE ABolition oF thE mosquito-Control progrAms.
B．thE surviving mosquito-BornE inFECtions.
C．thE ABusE oF somE $ 50 million in FunDs.
D．its FAilurE to ConquEr mosquito-BornE DisEAsEs.