Ukulwa “Nokuqatshulelwa” Ukufa
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EBRAZIL
Kuthulekile ebusuku, ulele zwí, iyasondela. Ayikuvusi. Futhi nawe awunyakazi nokunyakaza lapho ‘ikuqabula’ ngokulimazayo.
LO MHLASELI wasebusuku yibhungane i-barber—elibuye libizwe ngokuthi ibhungane eliqabulayo—elande kakhulu eNingizimu Melika. “Ukuqabula” kwalesi sinambuzane kungathatha imizuzu engaba ngu-15 njengoba silimunca kancane kancane igazi lakho. “Ukuqabula” ngokwako ngeke kukulimaze. Kodwa indle esala esikhunjeni sakho ingase ibe nesilwanyana esincane esibizwa ngokuthi i-Trypanosoma cruzi, noma i-T. cruzi uma sinqanyulelwa. Uma lesi silwanyana singena emzimbeni wakho ngamehlo, ngomlomo noma ngesilonda, singabangela i-trypanosomiasis yaseMelika, eyaziwa ngokuthi isifo i-Chagas.
Uma isiyimbi kakhulu, uphawu olubonakala kakhulu lwe-Chagas ukuvuvukala kwehlo. Kungase kulandele ukukhathala, imfiva, ukuba nenhliziyo emnyama noma isifo sohudo. Ngokuvamile lezi zimpawu ziyanyamalala ngemva kwenyanga noma ezimbili—ngisho nangaphandle kokwelashwa. Kodwa kusuke kusekuncane lokho. Ngemva kweminyaka eyishumi kuya kwengu-20 sangenwa yigciwane, isisulu singase sibe nezinkinga zenhliziyo, kuhlanganise nokuphazamiseka kokushaya kwenhliziyo noma ukumelwa inhliziyo.a
Kulinganiselwa ukuthi abantu abayizigidi ezingu-18 bane-Chagas, futhi babalelwa ku-50 000 abafayo unyaka ngamunye bebulawa yiyo. Akuzona zonke izisulu ezilunywa yilesi sinambuzane ngokuqondile. Ngokwesibonelo, ezinye kuba yizingane ezincelayo ezithola isifo konina. Owesifazane okhulelwe angase asidlulisele enganeni yakhe engakazalwa noma isithole ngesikhathi izalwa. Ezinye izindlela esidluliswa ngazo zihlanganisa ukumpontshelwa igazi nokudla ukudla okuluhlaza okune-T. cruzi.b
Yini eyenziwayo ukuze kulwiwe ne-Chagas? Izibulala-zinambuzane ziye zaphumelela ekulawuleni la mabhungane. Kodwa ukufutha indlu akumnandi, futhi kumelwe kuphindwe njalo ngemva kwezinyanga eziyisithupha. IFederal University of Rio de Janeiro iye yavela nelinye icebo—upende onesibulala-zinambuzane. Lo mkhiqizo wahlolwa ezindlini ezingu-4 800. Waba yini umphumela? Eminyakeni emibili kamuva ezingamaphesenti angu-80 kuzo zazingakabi naso lesi sinambuzane! Abacwaningi baye bathola nokuthi amaqabunga esihlahla i-neem, noma i-cinamomo yaseBrazil anesithako esingenabuthi (i-Azadirachtin) esingelaphi nje izindlu ezinalawa mabhungane kodwa esivimbela nezingenawo ukuba angazihlaseli.
Ukusiza Abanaso
Ingabe likhona ithemba ngezigidi zabantu eziye zangenwa i-Chagas? Yebo. Iqembu lomhlaba wonke lososayensi lizama ukwembula izimfihlakalo zezakhi zofuzo ezingu-10 000 ze-T. cruzi. Lokhu kungase kuvule ithuba lokuhlolela ukuxilonga nokwenza imijovo nemithi enamandla.
Ngo-July 1997, ososayensi bathumela elinye lamaprotheni abalulekile e-T. cruzi emkhathini ngomkhumbi-mkhathi i-Columbia ukuze bahlole isimo sayo endaweni engenawo amandla adonsela phansi. Lesi yisinyathelo esibalulekile ekutholeni imithi efanelana nokwakheka kwe-T. cruzi. Ukufuna umuthi omusha kubalulekile, ngoba kuze kube manje awukho umuthi okwazi ukwelapha lesi sifo uma sesize safinyelela emazingeni okugcina.c
Siqaphela izinzuzo zokwelapha ngokushesha, isazi sezinto eziphilayo saseBrazil, uConstança Britto sasungula ukuhlola ngokuguqula amakhemikhali e-polymerase, okwenza kube lula ukuxilongwa ezinsukwini ezimbili. Nokho, ngeshwa abaningi abazi nokwazi ukuthi banalesi sifo uma sisanda kuqala.
Ukuzivikela Kuyisihluthulelo
Ekuphetheni, yiziphi izinyathelo zokuphepha ongazithatha uma usendaweni ethandwa yileli bhungane?
▪ Uma ulala endlini yodaka noma efulelwe ngotshani, zama ukusebenzisa inetha lomiyane.
▪ Sebenzisa izibulala-zinambuzane. Zinciphisa amathuba okudluliselwa kwegciwane.
▪ Vala imifantu odongeni, njengoba ibhungane i-barber lingase lizalele kuyo.
▪ Gcina umuzi wakho uhlanzekile, kuhlanganise nendawo engemva kwezithombe nefenisha.
▪ Khipha omatilasi nezingubo ukuneke elangeni ngezikhathi ezithile.
▪ Khumbula ukuthi leli gciwane lingase lithwalwe yizilwane—zasendle noma zasendlini.
▪ Uma usola sengathi isinambuzane esithile siyibhungane i-barber, sithumele esikhungweni sezempilo esiseduze siyohlolwa.
[Imibhalo yaphansi]
a Izimpawu ziyahlukahluka, futhi ezinye zazo akuzona eze-Chagas kuphela. Ngakho-ke, lapha simane nje sikha phezulu, asiqondile ukuba usebenzise lezi zimpawu ukuze uhlole ngazo. Abantu abaningi ababi nazimpawu neze kuze kube yilapho lesi sifo singaselapheki.
b I-U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention iphawula ukuthi kwamanye amazwe igazi alihlolwa ngaso sonke isikhathi ukuthi alinayo yini i-Chagas.
c Odokotela basebenzisa i-nifurtimox ekwelapheni i-T. cruzi, kodwa ivame ukuba nemiphumela engemihle.
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 13]
Ukutholakala Kwe-Chagas
Ngo-1909, uCarlos Chagas, udokotela waseBrazil, wayesebenza eSifundazweni saseMinas Gerais, eBrazil, lapho isifo sikamalaleveva sasiphazamisé khona ukwakhiwa kukajantshi. Waphawula ukuthi iziguli eziningi zazinezimpawu ezingafani nezanoma yisiphi isifo esaziwayo. Waphawula nokuthi izindlu kuleyo ndawo zazigcwele izinambuzane ezibizwa ngokuthi amabhungane i-barber, ezazimunca igazi. Lapho ehlola amathumbu alezi zinambuzane, uChagas wathola i-protozoan entsha. Wayiqamba ngokuthi i-Trypanosoma cruzi, ehlonipha umngane wakhe, usosayensi u-Oswaldo Cruz. Lesi sifo esisha saqanjwa ngokufanelekile ngoCarlos Chagas ngenxa yokucwaninga ngokujulile, okwaholela ekubeni kutholakale lesi sifo.
[Isithombe ekhasini 12, 13]
Izindlu zasemakhaya zijwayele ukuhlaselwa amabhungane ama-“barber”
[Umthombo]
Photos: PAHO/WHO/P. ALMASY