Izifo Ezithwalwa Yizinambuzane—Yinkinga Ekhulayo

YISIKHATHI sokulala emzini othile eLatin America. Umama uyembesa ngobunono indodana yakhe abese eyivalelisa. Kodwa ebumnyameni, emfantwini osophahleni olungaphezu kombhede kuphuma imbungulu enkulu emnyama ecwebezelayo, engamasentimitha amathathu ubude. Iqathakela ebusweni balo mntwana olele futhi iqhumbuze isikhumba sakhe esithambile ngoqhwaku lwayo engezwa lutho. Njengoba le mbungulu izanelisa ngegazi, ishiya nendle yayo egcwele izilokazane eziphila ngezinye. Ngaphandle kokuphaphama, umfana uyazenwaya ebusweni, ehlikihla le ndle ebe isingena eshashazini.

Ngenxa yalesi sehlakalo esisodwa nje, lo mntwana ungenwa yisifo sikaChagas. Phakathi nesonto elilodwa noma amabili, uphathwa umkhuhlane omubi nomzimba wakhe uvuvukale. Uma kungenzeka asinde kulokhu kugula, izilokazane eziphila ngezinye ezikuye zingase ziqube emzimbeni wakhe, zihlasele inhliziyo, izinzwa, nezibilini. Kungase kudlule iminyaka engaba yishumi kuya kwengu-20 kungekho zimpawu zokugula. Kodwa-ke ngaleso sikhathi kungenzeka abe nezilonda emathunjini, ubuchopho bakhe bulimale, agcine ngokumelwa yinhliziyo afe.

Lokhu kulandisa okucatshangelwe empeleni kubonisa indlela umuntu asithola ngayo isifo sikaChagas. ELatin America, izigidi zingase zibe sengozini yokufa ngokulunywa ngale ndlela.

Omakhelwane Bomuntu Abanemilenze Eminingi

I-Encyclopaedia Britannica ithi: “Imikhuhlane eminingi emikhulu ephatha umuntu ibangelwa izilokazane ezincane ezithwalwa yizinambuzane.” Ngokuvamile abantu igama elithi “izinambuzane” abalisebenzisi nje kuphela ezidalweni ezinemilenze eyisithupha njengezimpukane, amazeze, omiyane, izintwala, nezinkubabulongwe—kodwa nasezidalweni ezinemilenze eyisishiyagalombili njengobuvunya namakhizane. Ososayensi bazifaka zonke lezi zinambuzane ngaphansi komkhakha obanzi wama-arthropod—umkhakha omkhulu ezilwaneni—okungenani ohlanganisa izinhlobo zezinambuzane eziyisigidi.

Iningi lalezi zinambuzane aliyona ingozi kumuntu, futhi ezinye ziwusizo olukhulu. Ngaphandle kwazo, izitshalo nemithi eminingi abantu nezilwane abathembele kuko ukuze bathole ukudla bekungeke kuyithole impova noma kuthele izithelo. Ezinye izinambuzane zisiza ekukhucululeni imfucumfucu. Izinambuzane eziningi zidla izitshalo kuphela, kanti ezinye zidla ezinye izinambuzane.

Yebo, zikhona izinambuzane eziwuhlupho kumuntu nasezilwaneni ngoba ziluma kabuhlungu noma ngokuba ziningi kwazo. Ezinye zidala umonakalo omkhulu emasimini. Nokho okubi nakakhulu yizinambuzane ezibhebhethekisa izifo nokufa. UDuane Gubler we-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention yase-United States uthi izifo ezithwalwa yizinambuzane “zabangela ukugula nokufa kwabantu abaningi ekhulwini le-17 kwaze kwaba sekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-20 kunanoma yibaphi ababulawa ezinye izimbangela zihlangene.”

Sikhuluma nje, umuntu oyedwa kwabayisithupha unesifo esitholakala ngezinambuzane. Ngaphezu kokuba uhlupho kubantu, izifo ezithwalwa izinambuzane ziwumthwalo osindayo ngokwezimali, ikakhulukazi emazweni asathuthuka—amazwe angenamandla okuwuthwala. Ngisho nokuqubuka kwesifo esisodwa kungaba yizindleko ezinkulu. Ukuqubuka kwesifo esithile entshonalanga yeNdiya ngo-1994 kuthiwa kwadla isamba esabhoboza isikhwama somnotho waleli zwe nowomhlaba wonke. Ngokwe-World Health Organization (WHO), amazwe omhlaba ampofu kakhulu ngeke akwazi ukuthuthuka kwezomnotho kuze kube yilapho izinkinga ezinjalo zezempilo sezinqandiwe.

Indlela Izinambuzane Ezisigulisa Ngayo

Izinambuzane zithwala noma zidlulisele izifo ngezindlela ezimbili eziyinhloko. Kweyokuqala izifo zinombela ezinambuzaneni. Njengoba nje abantu bethwala udaka bangene nalo endlini ngezicathulo ezingcolile, i-Encyclopedia Britannica ithi “izimpukane zingase zithwale izigidi zamagciwane ngezinyawo zazo, okungathi uma emaningi, abangele izifo.” Ngokwesibonelo, izimpukane zingacosha izifo endleni zizidlulisele kithi lapho zihlala ekudleni noma eziphuzweni. Ngale ndlela abantu bathola izifo eziwohloza umzimba nezibulalayo njenge-typhoid, isifo sohudo, ngisho nekholera. Izimpukane zisiza futhi nasekusakazeni i-trachoma—imbangela enkulu yobumpumputhe emhlabeni. I-trachoma ingabangela ubumpumputhe ngokulimaza i-cornea—ingxenye yeso engenambala ephambi kwesiyingi seso (iris). Emhlabeni wonke, abantu abangaba ngu-500 000 000 baphethwe yilesi sifo.

Amaphela, athanda indawo engcolile, nawo kusolakala ukuthi athutha izifo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ochwepheshe bahlobanisa ukwanda kwamuva nje kwesifuba somoya, ikakhulukazi ezinganeni, nokungezwani komzimba namaphela. Ngokwesibonelo, ake ubone ngeso lengqondo, u-Ashley, intombazane eneminyaka engu-15 ubudala, esiye yahlupheka isikhathi eside ebusuku iphefumula kanzima ngenxa yesifuba somoya. Lapho udokotela wakhe elungela ukupopola amaphaphu akhe, kuqathaka iphela liphuma eyembeni lika-Ashley ligijime linqamule umbhede axilongelwa kuwo.

Izifo Ezithwalwa Izinambuzane Ngaphakathi

Lapho izinambuzane zifukamele amagciwane, noma izilokazane eziphila ngezinye ngaphakathi emizimbeni yazo, zingabhebhethekisa izifo ngendlela yesibili—ngokuluma umuntu noma ngezinye izindlela. Zimbalwa kakhulu izinambuzane ezidlulisela izifo kubantu ngale ndlela. Ngokwesibonelo, yize kunezinkulungwane zezinhlobo zomiyane, yilabo bohlobo lwe-Anopheles kuphela abadlulisela umalaleveva—isifo esibulalayo emhlabeni esingesesibili ezifweni ezithathelwanayo (silandela isifo sofuba).

Noma kunjalo, abanye omiyane badlulisela indathane yezinye izifo. I-WHO iyabika: “Umiyane uyingozi kakhulu kunazo zonke ezinye izinambuzane ezithwala izifo, njengoba usakaza umalaleveva, udenga ne-yellow fever, zontathu lezi zifo uma zihlangene ezibangela ukufa kwabantu abayizigidi eziningana, zibangele namakhulu ezigidi zabantu ukuba bathole lezi zifo unyaka ngamunye.” Okungenani abantu abangamaphesenti angu-40 emhlabeni basengozini yokungenwa umalaleveva, kanti abangaba amaphesenti angu-40 basengozini yokungenwa udenga. Ezindaweni eziningi, zingamngena zombili lezi zifo umuntu.

Yiqiniso, akubona omiyane kuphela abayizinambuzane ezithwala izifo ngaphakathi emizimbeni yabo. Izimpukuvane zingadlulisela igciwane elibangela isifo sobuthongo, esihlupha amakhulu ezinkulungwane zabantu futhi esibangela ukuba imiphakathi eminingi iwashiye phansi amasimu ayo avundile. Ngokudlulisela igciwane elibangela ubumpumputhe obudalwa amanzi omfula, izimpukane ezimnyama ziye zabashiya beyizimpumputhe abantu base-Afrika abangaba ngu-400 000. Izimpukane ezizalela esihlabathini zingathwala igciwane elibangela izifo ze-leishmaniasis, izifo eziningana ezikhinyabeza, zikhubaze, ngokuvamile zize zibulale, kwamanje ezihlupha izigidi zabantu babo bonke ubudala emhlabeni wonke. Amazeze atholakala yonke indawo angafukamela izikelemu, isifo sokusha kobuchopho, i-tularemia, ngisho nobhubhane—ngokuvamile oluhlanganiswa ne-Black Death eyaqothula ingxenye yesithathu noma ngaphezulu yomphakathi waseYurophu ngeminyaka eyisithupha nje kuphela eNkathini Ephakathi.

Izintwala, ubuvunya, namakhizane kungadlulisela izinhlobo ezihlukahlukene ze-typhus, ngaphezu kwezinye izifo. Emhlabeni wonke emazweni anesimo sezulu esihle, amakhizane angathwala isifo saseLyme—okuyisifo esithwalwa izinambuzane esivame kakhulu e-United States naseYurophu—esinamandla okuwohloza umzimba. Ucwaningo lwaseSweden lwembula ukuthi izinyoni ezifudukayo zingathutha amakhizane zindize nawo izinkulungwane zamakhilomitha, okungenza ukuba lawo makhizane alethe izifo azithwele ezindaweni ebezingenazo. I-Britannica ithi: “Inani lezifo ezidluliselwa amakhizane kubantu lidlula elazo zonke ezinye izinambuzane (ngaphandle komiyane).” Empeleni, ikhizane elilodwa lingafukamela amagciwane angabangela izifo ezintathu futhi lingazidlulisela zontathu lapho likuluma kanye nje!

“Ukuhlaba Ikhefu” Ezifweni

Kwakungakaze kufakazelwe ngokwesayensi ukuthi izinambuzane ziyazithwala izifo kwaze kwaba ngo-1877. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, kuye kwaba nemikhankaso emikhulu yokunqanda noma yokuqeda izinambuzane ezithwala izifo. Ngo-1939 isibulali-zinambuzane i-DDT sanezelwa ezikhalini zokulwa nezinambuzane futhi ngawo-1960 izifo ezithwalwa yizinambuzane zazingasabhekwa njengosongo olukhulu empilweni yabantu emazweni angaphandle kwe-Afrika. Akubange kusagxilwa ekunqandeni izinambuzane ezithwala izifo, kunalokho kwagxilwa ekwelapheni izimo eziphuthumayo ngemithi enamandla, futhi kwancipha isithakazelo sokucwaninga ngezinambuzane nendlela yazo yokuphila. Kwakutholakala namakhambi amasha, futhi kwabonakala sengathi isayensi yayisizolithola “ikhambi elinguzifozonke” lokubhekana nanoma yisiphi isifo. Izwe lalisathe “ukuhlaba ikhefu” ezifweni ezithathelwanayo. Kodwa lelo khefu lalizophela kungakabiphi. Isihloko esilandelayo sizochaza isizathu salokhu.

[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 19]

Namuhla, umuntu oyedwa kwabayisithupha unesifo esithwalwa yizinambuzane

[Isithombe ekhasini 19]

Imbungulu

[Isithombe ekhasini 20]

Izimpukane zithwala izinto ezibangela izifo ngezinyawo zazo

[Izithombe ekhasini 21]

Izinambuzane eziningi zithwala izifo ngaphakathi emizimbeni yazo

Izimpukane ezimnyama zithwala isifo sobumpumputhe obubangelwa amanzi omfula

Omiyane bathwala umalaleveva, udenga ne-“yellow fever”

Izintwala zingadlulisela isifo se-“typhus”

Amazeze angafukamela amagciwane abangela isifo sokusha kobuchopho nezinye izifo

Izimpukuvane zidlulisela isifo sobuthongo

[Imithombo]

WHO/TDR/LSTM

CDC/James D. Gathany

CDC/Dr. Dennis D. Juranek

CDC/Janice Carr

WHO/TDR/Fisher

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 20]

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