Isifo SikaChagas—Imbangela Yokufa

UDOKOTELA waseBrazil, uCarlos Chagas, waqamba ngegama lakhe isifo ngolimi lwezokwelapha esaziwa ngokuthi itrypanosomiasis yaseNingizimu Melika. Wasithola ngo-1909 lapho ethola isilwanyana esibonwa ngesibona-khulu esincela igazi esibizwa ngokuthi itrypanosome. Lesifo kunzima ukusibona ngoba ngemva kokungena egazini lomuntu kwalezilwanyana ezinengqamuzana elilodwa ezincela igazi lezinye, eziningi zazo ziyaphuma egazini futhi zizifihle emangqamuzaneni omzimba futhi azibonakali kalula.

Lapho isisengqamuzaneni, itrypanosome yanda ngokushesha, kodwa izimpawu zalesifo ziyehlukahluka. Ezinye izisulu azibi nazimpawu zokuthi zinalesifo, kodwa kwezinye ngokushesha kwenzeka umonakalo ongenakwelapheka obendeni, esibindini, kumalymph node, ngisho nasebuchosheni. Futhi eNingizimu Melika siyimbangela eyinhloko yokufa okubangelwa isifo senhliziyo kubantu abaneminyaka yobudala engaphansi kwengu-40. Asikatholakali namanje isidakamizwa sokwelapha lesifo, kodwa Imperial College yaseLondon ihileleke ngenkuthalo ekucwaningeni ngamamolecule ukuze isikhiqize.

IWorld Health Organization ibika ukuthi abantu abayizigidi ezingu-90 basengozini yokungenwa yilesifo sikaChagas eNingizimu Melika naseNkabeni yayo, nezigidi ezifinyelela kwezingu-18 esezinaso kakade lesifo. Sidluliselwa kanjani lesifo? Singadluliselwa kubantu yizinja namakati kodwa ngokuvamile singadluliselwa ivinchuca, isinambuzane esaziwa ngokuthi umbulali, noma imbungulu encela igazi lezinye, ngoba ebusuku iwela esisulwini sayo ukuze idle inyama ethambile ebusweni, ngokuvamile ngasentanyeni noma ngasemehlweni.

Lapho lesinambuzane sikuluma akubuhlungu. Ngemva kokuba isisuthi igazi, lembungulu ishiya uthuvi bayo obunalesifo esisulwini. Lapho buhlikihlelwa enxebeni elivulekile, yilembungulu ngokwayo noma isisulu, esingase senwaye singaqapheli ukuthi siye salunywa, uthuvi ungcolisa igazi. Ngokungakholeki, abanye abantu baseMexico kubikwa ukuthi basazidla lezimbungulu ezincela igazi lezinye njengento evusa isifiso sobulili bese beba netrypanosome njengomphumela oqondile.

Njengoba sibizwa ngokuthi isifo sobumpofu, isifo sikaChagas ngokuvamile sitholakala ezindaweni ezimpofu kuphela lapho izimbungulu zizalela khona ngokukhululekile emifantwini yezindonga zamaqhugwana odaka. Kodwa eminyakeni yamuva siye sanda kakhulu emadolobheni achumile, njengaseRio de Janeiro. Ngani? Ngoba abantu abavela ezindaweni zasemaphandleni abanalesifo bayeza bazonikela ngegazi. Izinkulungwane zabantu abasanda kuphathwa yilesifo sikaChagas ziyabikwa unyaka ngamunye eBrazil, okubonakalayo ukuthi zisithole ngokuqondile ekumpontshelweni igazi elinalesifo. Izisebenzi ezingabafuduki ezivela eNingizimu Melika manje zibangela ukukhathazeka eUnited States, lapho ezinye izindawo zokulondoloza igazi sezingcolisiwe kakade.

Ukuhlanzeka, izindawo zokuhlala ezifanelekayo, nokukhuculula indle okufanele kuyizimfuneko eziyinhloko ekuvimbeleni ukwanda kwenani lalezimbungulu ezincela igazi lezinye. Futhi ngokuqondene namaKristu umyalo othi ‘ayeke . . . igazi’ awuguquki. Ukuwulalela kusindisa ukuphila.—IzEnzo 15:20.