Iyanda Ingxaki—Yezifo Ezisasazwa Zizinambuzane

KUSEBUSUKU kwikhaya elikwiLatin America. Umama onothando ulalisa unyana wakhe aze amxelele ukuba alale kakuhle. Xa kumnyama, kuphuma incukuthu ekhazimlayo engaphantsi kweesentimitha ezintathu ubude kumngxuma osesilingini entla kwebhedi. Iwela ebusweni balo mntwana ize imthi mfi kolo lusu lwakhe luthambileyo. Njengoko ifunxa igazi, ishiya iintsholongwane. Le nkwenkwe iyazonwaya ebusweni yaye oko kubangela ukuba ezi ntsholongwane zingene kweso sigxala.

Emva kokulunywa yiloo ncukuthu, lo mntwana uba nesifo sikaChagas. Kwisithuba esimalunga neveki okanye ezimbini emva koko, uba nefiva yaye umzimba wakhe uqalisa ukudumba. Nokuba uye waphila, iintsholongwane zisenokutyhutyha igazi ziye kufika entliziyweni, kwimithambo-luvo nakwizicwili zomzimba ezingaphakathi. Kunokudlula iminyaka eli-10 ukusa kwengama-20 kungekho nto ibonisa ukuba uhlaselwe zezi ntsholongwane. Kodwa emva kokuba kudlule ithuba elingako, usenokuba nezilonda emathunjini, abe nezifo ezihlasela umnqonqo aze ekugqibeleni abulawe sisifo sentliziyo.

Le nkcazelo ibonisa indlela esinokumhlasela ngayo umntu isifo sikaChagas. Kumazwe akwiLatin America, izigidi zabantu zisenokuba sesichengeni sokuhlaselwa zizinambuzane ezisasaza izifo ezibulalayo.

Abahlobo Bomntu Abanemilenze Emininzi

IEncyclopædia Britannica ithi: “Iintlobo zefiva ezininzi zibangelwa ziintsholongwane ezisasazwa zizinambuzane.” Ibinzana elithi “izinambuzane” lidla ngokusetyenziswa xa kuthethwa ngezinambuzane eziqhelekileyo—izinambuzane ezinemilenze emithandathu njengeempukane, iintakumba, iingcongconi, iintwala nezinye izinambuzane ezincinane—kodwa liyasetyenziswa naxa kuthethwa ngezinambuzane ezinemilenze esibhozo njengamangolwane namakhalane. Izazinzulu zithi ezi zizinambuzane ziluhlobo olunye—yaye olu lolona hlobo lukhulu—zithi ubuncinane zisisigidi izinambuzane zolu hlobo ezaziwayo.

Izinambuzane ezininzi aziyongozi ebantwini, yaye ezinye ziyingenelo kubo. Ngaphandle kwazo, izityalo nemithi emininzi abaxhomekeke kuyo abantu nezilwanyana ibingayi kuthwala ziqhamo yaye abantu bebengayi kufumana kutya. Ezinye izinambuzane ziluncedo ekuguquleni inkunkuma. Izinambuzane ezininzi zitya izityalo, ngoxa kukho ezitya ezinye izinambuzane.

Kakade ke, zikho izinambuzane ezingafunwayo ngabantu nazizilwanyana ngenxa yokuba ziluma kabuhlungu okanye ziyakuthanda ukubhuza phakathi kwabo. Ezinye zonakalisa izityalo. Eyona nto imbi kukuba kukho izinambuzane ezisasaza izifo nezinambuzane ezibulalayo. UDuane Gubler we-U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uthi izifo ezisasazwa zizinambuzane “ziye zabulala abantu abaninzi ngenkulungwane ye-17 ukusa kweyama-20 kunazo naziphi na ezinye izinto.”

Namhlanje, izifo ezisasazwa zizinambuzane zasulela phantse umntu om-1 kwaba-6. Izifo ezisasazwa zizinambuzane zibangela unxunguphalo yaye zidodobalisa nezoqoqosho, ingakumbi kumazwe asakhasayo—lawo kanye angenayo imali yokulungisa le meko. Ukusasazeka kwesifo nje esinye kunokuxabisa inkuntyula yemali. Kuthiwa isiganeko esinjalo esenzeka kwintshona yeIndiya ngowe-1994 sabangela ukuba elo lizwe nehlabathi ngokubanzi liphulukane nezigidi ngezigidi zeedola. Ngokutsho kweWorld Health Organization (iWHO), awona mazwe ahlwempuzekileyo ehlabathini akasokuze ahambele phambili kwezoqoqosho de alungise iingxaki zempilo ezithwaxa abemi baloo mazwe.

Indlela Izinambuzane Ezizisasaza Ngayo Izifo

Izinambuzane zisasaza iintsholongwane ngeendlela ezimbini. Okokuqala, zithwala iintsholongwane ngemizimba yazo. IEncyclopædia Britannica ithi kanye njengokuba abantu benokuza nokungcola emakhayeni abo ngezihlangu ezimdaka, “iimpukane zinokuthwala izigidi zeentsholongwane ngeenyawo zazo, yaye xa ezo ntsholongwane zininzi ngokwaneleyo, zinokubangela izifo.” Ngokomzekelo, iimpukane zinokuqokelela iintsholongwane kwilindle zize zizidlulisele ekutyeni okanye kwiziselo zethu xa zihlala kuko. Oku kunokubangela ukuba abantu basulelwe zizifo eziyingozi nezibulalayo njengefiva, isisu segazi nekholera. Kwakhona, iimpukane zinokuncedisa ekusasazeni i-trachoma—isifo esibangela ukungaboni esinkqenkqeza phambili ehlabathini lonke. I-trachoma inokwenza umntu angaboni ngokonakalisa inwebu ekhusela iliso. Ehlabathini lonke, bamalunga nama-500 000 000 abantu abathwaxwa sesi sifo.

Kucingelwa ukuba amaphela, athanda ukuba kwiindawo ezinenkunkuma, anokuthwala iintsholongwane ngemizimba yawo. Ukongezelela, iingcali zithi amaphela anento yokwenza nokwanda kwesifo sesifuba, ingakumbi ebantwaneni. Ngokomzekelo, uAshley, intwazana eneminyaka eli-15 ubudala, akalali ebusuku ngenxa yokuba uphefumla nzima yaye oko kubangelwa sisifo sesifuba. Xa ugqirha wayelungiselela ukumxilonga, kwaphuma iphela ehempeni ka-Ashley laza libaleka laya kusithela.

Izifo Ezingaphakathi Kwizinambuzane

Indlela yesibini izinambuzane ezinokudlulisela ngayo izifo kuxa imizimba yazo ilikhaya leentsholongwane okanye izifunxi-gazi—zinokudlulisela izifo ebantwini xa zibaluma okanye ngezinye iindlela. Zimbalwa kakhulu izinambuzane ezidlulisela izifo ngale ndlela. Ngokomzekelo, nangona kukho amawaka eentlobo zeengcongconi, luhlobo olubizwa ngokuba yi-Anopheles kuphela oludlulisela imalariya—isifo esasulelayo nesibulalayo esikwindawo yesibini ehlabathini lonke (esona sifo sinkqenkqeza phambili sisifo sephepha).

Sekunjalo, ezinye iingcongconi zidlulisela izifo ezahlukahlukeneyo. IWHO ithi: “Kuzo zonke izinambuzane ezidlulisela izifo, esona siyingozi yingcongconi, inokudlulisela imalariya, i-dengue ne-yellow fever yaye nyaka ngamnye ezi zifo zibulala izigidi zabantu zize zasulele amakhulu ezigidi.” Ehlabathini lonke, bangama-40 ekhulwini abantu abasesichengeni sokwasulelwa yimalariya, yaye bangama-40 ekhulwini abasesichengeni sokwasulelwa yi-dengue. Kwiindawo ezininzi, umntu unokwasulelwa zizo zozibini ezi zifo.

Kakade ke, asizongcongconi kuphela ezithwala izifo ngemizimba yazo. Ii-tsetse flies zisasaza intsholongwane ebangela isifo sokozela esithwaxa amakhulu amawaka abantu, yaye zibangela ukuba abantu bashiye imihlaba yabo echumileyo. Ii-blackflies zisasaza intsholongwane ebangela ukuphanyaka kwamehlo, yaye esi sifo sichaphazela abantu baseAfrika abangama-400 000. Ii-sand flies zinokuthwala intsholongwane ebangela i-leishmaniasis, uthotho lwezifo ezishiya umntu engumlwelwe yaye esi sifo sibulalayo sithwaxa izigidi zabantu abakubudala obahlukahlukeneyo ehlabathini lonke. Iintakumba zinokuba nentsholongwane ebangela ii-tapeworms, i-encephalitis, i-tularemia, nesifo esingubhubhani—yaye kucingelwa ukuba ezi zinto zingunozala wokuFa Okumnyama okuye kwatshayela abantu baseYurophu abamalunga nesithathu okanye ngaphezulu kwisithuba nje seminyaka emithandathu, ebudeni bamaXesha Aphakathi.

Iintwala, amangolwane namakhalane anokuba ngunozala wesifo seentwala nezinye izifo. Kumazwe apho amaqondo obushushu asoloko ephakathi, amakhalane anokubangela isifo seLyme esenza ukuba umntu aphelelwe ngamandla—yaye esi sesona sifo sisasazwa zizinambuzane esiqhelekileyo eUnited States naseYurophu. Uphando olwenziwe eSweden lubonisa ukuba xa iintaka zifuduka, zinokuthwala amakhalane umgama ongamawaka eekhilomitha yaye loo nto inokubangela ukuba kuqhambuke izifo ezitsha kweminye imimandla. I-Britannica ithi: “Amakhalane ngawona athwala izifo ezasulela abantu ukudlula zonke ezinye izinambuzane (ngaphandle kweengcongconi).” Eneneni, ikhalane elinye linokuthwala iintsholongwane ezinokubangela iintlobo ezintathu zezifo yaye umntu unokwasulelwa zizo zozithathu ezi zifo nokuba limlume nje kanye!

Ukufumana “Isiqabu” Kwizifo

Into yokuba izinambuzane ziyakwazi ukusasaza izifo iye yaqinisekiswa yinzululwazi ngowe-1877. Ukususela ngoko, abantu baye bakwiphulo lokulwa nezinambuzane ezisasaza izifo. Ngowe-1939 kwenziwa isibulala-zinambuzane esibizwa ngokuba yi-DDT, yaye ngeminyaka yee-1960 izifo ezisasazwa zizinambuzane zazingaseyongxaki kangako kumazwe angaphandle kweAfrika. Kunokuba kuzanywe ukuliwa nezinambuzane, kwagxininiswa ekuveliseni amayeza okunyanga abantu abalunywe zizinambuzane yaye wathotha nomdla wokufunda ngezinambuzane. Ngelo xesha kwaveliswa amayeza amatsha yaye kwakubonakala ngathi iinzululwazi zinako ukufumana iyeza elinokunyanga nasiphi na isifo “ngokukhawuleza.” Abantu bafumana “isiqabu” kwizifo ezasulelayo. Kodwa esi siqabu sasiza kuphela kungekudala. Inqaku elilandelayo liza kuchaza isizathu soko.

[Amagama acatshulweyo akwiphepha 19]

Namhlanje, umntu om-1 kwaba-6 wasulelwa sisifo esisasazwa zizinambuzane

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 19]

Incukuthu

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Iimpukane zithwala iintsholongwane ezibangela izifo ngemilenze yazo

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Izinambuzane ezininzi zithwala izifo ngemizimba yazo

Ii-“blackflies” zibangela ukuphanyaka kwamehlo

Iingcongconi zibangela imalariya, i-“dengue” ne-“yellow fever”

Iintwala zibangela isifo seentwala

Iintakumba zibangela i-“encephalitis” nezinye izifo

Ii-“tsetse flies” zibangela isifo sokozela

[Inkcazelo]

WHO/TDR/LSTM

CDC/James D. Gathany

CDC/Dr. Dennis D. Juranek

CDC/Janice Carr

WHO/TDR/Fisher

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 20]

Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, www.insectimages.org