Igciwane Elibulalayo Lihlasela IZaire

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! E-AFRIKA

IKIKWIT, eZaire, iyidolobha elichumayo elisemaphethelweni ehlathi lezimvula elisendaweni eshisayo. UGaspard Menga Kitambala oneminyaka engu-42, ohlala ngaphandle kwaleli dolobha, kwakunguye yedwa uFakazi kaJehova emkhayeni wakhe. UMenga wayethengisa amalahle. Wayelungisa amalahle akhe phakathi ehlathini, awabophe abe yizinqwatshana, awathwale ekhanda awayise eKikwit.

Ngo-January 6, 1995, wagula. Wawa kabili ebuya ehlathini eya ekhaya. Lapho efika ekhaya, wathi uphethwe yikhanda nemfiva.

Ezinsukwini ezimbalwa ezalandela, isimo sakhe saba sibi kakhulu. Ngo-January 12, umkhaya wakhe wamyisa eKikwit General Hospital. OFakazi basebandleni uMenga ayekulo basiza umkhaya wakhe ekumnakekeleni esibhedlela. Ngokudabukisayo, isimo sakhe saqhubeka siba sibi kakhulu. Waqala ukuhlanza igazi. Igazi lagobhoza ngokungalawuleki ngamakhala nangezindlebe. Ngo-January 15, washona.

Ngokushesha abanye emkhayeni kaMenga ababethinte isidumbu sakhe bagula. Ekuqaleni kuka-March, abantu abangu-12 ababehlobene ngokuseduze noMenga base beshonile, kuhlanganise nomkakhe nabantwana babo ababili kwabayisithupha.

Phakathi no-April, izisebenzi zasesibhedlela nabanye baqala ukugula futhi bafa ngendlela efanayo nekaMenga nomkhaya wakhe. Ngokushesha lokhu kugula kwasakazekela kwamanye amadolobha amabili kulendawo. Ngokusobala, kwakudingeka usizo lwamazwe angaphandle.

UProfesa Muyembe, isazi esiphezulu sesayensi yamagciwane saseZaire, waya eKikwit ngo-May 1. Kamuva watshela i-Phaphama!: “Saphetha ngokuthi iKikwit yayihlaselwe yimiqedazwe emibili: owokuqala kwakuyisifo sohudo esibangelwa amagciwane okuthiwa ama-bacterium, kanti omunye kwakuyimfiva ephalazisa igazi ebangelwa yigciwane okuthiwa yi-virus. Yiqiniso, kwakudingeka siyiqinisekise lemiphumela yokuxilonga. Ngakho saqoqa igazi ezigulini salithumela ukuba liyohlolwa eCenters for Disease Control (CDC) e-Atlanta, e-U.S.A.”

I-CDC yakuqinisekisa lokho uMuyembe nabanye odokotela baseZaire ababekusolile. Lesi sifo kwakuyi-Ebola.

Isifo Esibulalayo

Igciwane le-Ebola linonya kabi. Libulala ngokushesha. Awukho umjovo olinqobayo, futhi ayikho indlela eyaziwayo yokwelapha izisulu zalo.

I-Ebola yaqashelwa okokuqala ngo-1976. Njengoba siqanjwe ngomfula waseZaire, lesi sifo sahlasela eningizimu yeSudan, kwathi ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho sahlasela enyakatho yeZaire. Saphinde saqubuka kancane ngo-1979 eSudan. Ngemva kwalokho, lesi sifo sanyamalala iminyaka eminingi, ngaphandle kwemibiko embalwa yabantu ababebulawa yizifo ezinezimpawu ezifana neze-Ebola.

Igciwane le-Ebola linengozi yokubulala kangangokuba ososayensi abalicwaningayo e-Atlanta basebenzela endaweni yokucwaninga ephephe kakhulu eyenziwe yaba nesimiso sokungenisa umoya ohlanzekile esivimbela noma yiliphi igciwane elihamba emoyeni ukuba lingaphumi. Ngaphambi kokuba bangene kulendawo yokucwaninga, ososayensi bagqoka “izingubo zasemkhathini.” Lapho bephuma, bageza emanzini anezibulala-magciwane. Amaqembu odokotela eza eKikwit ayephethe izingubo zokuzivikela—amagilavu nezembozo zekhanda okugqokwa kanye kulahlwe, izibuko zokuzivikela, nezembatho zangaphandle ezikhethekile ezivimbela amagciwane ukuba angangeni ngaphakathi.

Ngokuphambene, izakhamuzi eziningi zaseKikwit zazingenakho kokubili ulwazi nezinto zokuzivikela. Abanye babezifaka engozini bebona noma balahlekelwe ukuphila kwabo benakekela abathandekayo babo abagulayo. Abangane namalungu omkhaya babebeletha abagulayo nabashonile emihlane noma babathwale emahlombe bengazivikele ngalutho. Umphumela waba ukulahleka kokuphila okudabukisayo; leli gciwane labhuqa wonke umuntu emikhayeni.

Ukunqanda Ukubhebhetheka Kwalesi Sifo

Umphakathi womhlaba wonke wasabela ekunxuseni usizo kweKikwit ngokunikela ngezimali nezinto zokwelapha. Kwafika amaqembu abacwaningi ngezindiza evela eYurophu, eNingizimu Afrika, nase-United States. Injongo yokuza kwawo yayikabili: okokuqala, ukusiza ekunqandeni ukubhebhetheka kwalesi sifo; okwesibili, ukuthola lapho leli gciwane lihlala khona phakathi nezikhathi elibhubhisa ngazo.

Ukuze zisize ekunqandeni lomqedazwe, izisebenzi zezempilo zahamba umgwaqo nomgwaqo zihlola ukuze zithole noma ubani owayenezimpawu zalesi sifo. Abagulayo bayiswa esibhedlela, lapho babehlaliswa khona bodwa futhi belashwe ngokuphephile. Labo ababefa babesongwa ngamapulasitiki amakhulu futhi bangcwatshwe ngokushesha.

Kwaqalwa umkhankaso omkhulu wokunikeza izisebenzi zezempilo nawo wonke umphakathi ukwaziswa okunembile ngokuphathelene nalesi sifo. Ingxenye yalesi sigijimi yaxwayisa ngokuqinile ngemikhuba yokungcwaba engokwesiko, lapho amalungu emikhaya ayethinta umuntu ofile futhi amgeze emikhosini.

Ukuthungatha Umthombo

Ososayensi babefuna ukuthola ukuthi leli gciwane livelaphi. Nakhu abakwaziyo: Amagciwane awazona izinto eziphila ngokuzimele, ezikwazi ukuzidlela, ukuziphuzela nokuzandisa ngokwazo. Ukuze aqhubeke ephila futhi ezalana, kumelwe ahlasele amangqamuzana aphilayo ayinkimbinkimbi futhi awasebenzise.

Lapho igciwane lingena esilwaneni, ngokuvamile ubuhlobo buba obokuhlalisana—isilwane asilibulali igciwane, nalo alisibulali isilwane. Kodwa lapho umuntu ethintana nesilwane esinalelo gciwane futhi ngandlelathile lidlulele kumuntu, leli gciwane lingase libe elibulalayo.

Njengoba igciwane le-Ebola libabulala ngokushesha abantu nezinkawu, ososayensi bacabangela ukuthi leli gciwane kumelwe ukuba lihlala kokunye okuthile okuphilayo. Uma izikhulu zezempilo zithola ukuthi leli gciwane lithwalwa yinhloboni yento ephilayo, khona-ke zingase zikwazi ukuthatha izinyathelo eziphumelelayo zokuliqeda nezokuvikela abantu ukuze kuvinjelwe ukuqubuka kwalesi sifo kwesikhathi esizayo. Umbuzo ongaphenduliwe nge-Ebola uwukuthi, Lihlalaphi leli gciwane phakathi nezikhathi elibhubhisa ngazo abantu?

Ukuze baphendule lombuzo, abacwaningi kumelwe bafune umthombo waleli gciwane. Imizamo yokuthola isilwane esiyisizinda salo ngemva kokuqubuka kwalo okudlule ayizange iphumelele. Kodwa lomqedazwe waseKikwit wavula ithuba elisha.

Ososayensi bacabangela ukuthi isisulu sokuqala somqedazwe waseKikwit kwakunguGaspard Menga. Kodwa lamngena kanjani leli gciwane? Uma alithola esilwaneni esithile, kwakuluhlobo luni lwesilwane? Kunengqondo ukuthi impendulo yayingase itholakale ehlathini ayesebenzela kulo uMenga. Amaqembu ayeqoqa izinto ezizohlolwa abeka izicupho ezingu-350 ezindaweni ayesebenzela kuzo uMenga elungisa amalahle akhe. Abamba izilwane eziququdayo, ongoso, amasele, izibankwa, izinyoka, omiyane, izimpukane ezimunca igazi, amakhizane, izimbungulu, izintwala, izibungu okuthiwa ama-chigger, namazeze—sekukonke kwakuyizilwane ezincane ezingu-2 200 nezinambuzane ezingu-15 000. Ososayensi, begqoke izingubo zokuzivikela, babulala lezi zilwane ngesisi esibulala imizwa. Babe sebethumela izicubu ezincane e-United States, lapho zazizohlolwa khona ukuthi zinalo yini leli gciwane.

Njengoba izindawo elingacasha kuzo leli gciwane zicishe zingabaleki, asikho isiqinisekiso sokuthi umthombo walo uyotholakala. UDkt. C. J. Peters, inhloko yegatsha elikhethekile le-CDC eliphathelene namagciwane, wathi: “Angicabangi ukuthi kulokhu, amathuba okuthola isizinda segciwane le-Ebola angaphezu kwamaphesenti angu-50.”

Umqedazwe Uyanyamalala

Ngo-August 25, kwamenyezelwa ngokomthetho ukuthi lomqedazwe usudlulile, njengoba kungazange kube khona abanye obaphathayo ezinsukwini ezingu-42, okuyisikhathi esiphindwe kabili kunenkathi ephakathi kokungenwa nokubonakala kwalesi sifo kumuntu. Kungani lesi sifo singazange sisakazeke kabanzi? Isici sokuqala kwakuwumzamo wezokwelapha womhlaba wonke owenziwa ukuze kunqandwe lomqedazwe. Esinye isici esawenza wangaba namandla lomqedazwe kwakuwubunzima besifo ngokwaso. Ngenxa yokuthi sasivela futhi sibulale ngokushesha kanti futhi sasidluliselwa ngokuthintana ngokuseduze kuphela, asizange sisakazekele kubantu abaningi kakhulu.

Imibiko engokomthetho ibonisa ukuthi kunabantu abangu-315 abangenwa yilesi sifo futhi abangu-244 babo bafa—izinga lokubulala elingamaphesenti angu-77. Okwamanje i-Ebola isathule. Ezweni elisha likaJehova, iyothula kuze kube phakade. (Bheka u-Isaya 33:24.) Okwamanje, abantu bayazibuza, ‘Ingabe i-Ebola izophinde ivele isibulale?’ Mhlawumbe. Kodwa akekho owaziyo ukuthi kuphi noma nini.

[Ibhokisi ekhasini 25]

Lapho Lomqedazwe Uqhathaniswa Nezinye Izifo

I-Ebola iyabulala, nokho usongo olukhulu ngokwengeziwe kubantu base-Afrika luyizifo ezinganakiwe. Phakathi nokuqubuka kwayo, ezinye izifo zabhubhisa abantu kunganakekile. Kwabikwa ukuthi ebangeni elingamakhilomitha ambalwa ukuya ngasempumalanga yeKikwit, abantu abangu-250 babesanda kuhlaselwa isifo sovendle. Ngasenyakatho-ntshonalanga, uhlobo olubulalayo Iwekholera Iwabhubhisa eMali. Ngaseningizimu, e-Angola, abantu abangu-30 000 bahlaselwa yisifo sokulala. Endaweni enkulu yaseNtshonalanga Afrika, izinkulungwane zabulawa umqedazwe wesifo solwelwesi lobuchopho. I- York Times yathi: “Ngokuphathelene nabantu base-Afrika, umbuzo odidayo uwukuthi kungani ukuhlaselwa [kwabantu base-Afrika] kwansuku zonke yizifo ngokuvamile ezilaphekayo kungawenzi umhlaba wonke uthinteke konembeza?”

[Isithombe ekhasini 24]

Ososayensl bathungatha umthombo wegciwane elibulalayo