I-snail Fever—Ingabe Ukuphela Kwayo Kuseduze?
NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ENIGERIA
NAPHEZU kwentuthuko emangalisayo emikhakheni yezokwelapha nesayensi, isintu siyehluleka ukuxazulula eziningi zezinkinga zaso zakudala. Kuye kwaba njalo ngemizamo yokunqoba i-snail fever.
Kubonakala sengathi zikhona izindlela zokwelapha lesi sifo. Odokotela bayawuqonda umjikelezo wokuphila kwesilokazane esithwala igciwane. Kulula ukubona lesi sifo. Ikhona imithi ekwazi ukuselapha. Abaholi bohulumeni bazimisele ukuthuthukisa imizamo yokusivimbela. Nakuba kunjalo, akubonakali sizophela maduzane lesi sifo esihlupha izigidi zabantu e-Afrika, e-Asia, eCaribbean, eMpumalanga Ephakathi naseNingizimu Melika.
I-snail fever (ebizwa nangokuthi isichenene noma i-schistosomiasis) inezinkulungwane zeminyaka ihlupha umuntu. Amaqanda omile atholakala ezidunjini zaseGibithe anikeza ubufakazi bokuthi lesi sifo sasihlupha abaseGibithe ngezinsuku zofaro. Eminyakeni engamakhulu angu-30 kamuva, isifo esifanayo sisaqhubeka sihlupha elase-Egypt, siwohloza impilo yezigidi zezakhamuzi zalelizwe. Kwamanye amadolobhana eNile Delta, abantu abangu-9 kwabangu-10 bake baba naso.
Elase-Egypt limane lingelinye lamazwe angu-74 noma ngaphezulu lapho i-snail fever idlange khona. Emhlabeni wonke, ngokwamanani e-World Health Organization (WHO), abantu abayizigidi ezingu-200 baphethwe yilesi sifo. Ezigulini eziyizigidi ezingu-20 ezihamba naso, cishe ezingu-200 000 ziyafa unyaka ngamunye. Phakathi kwezifo zasezindaweni ezishisayo ezibangelwa izilokazane ezithwala igciwane, kuthiwa i-snail fever idlulwa umalaleveva kuphela, uma kucatshangelwa inani labantu ebaphathayo nomonakalo ewenzayo kwezenhlalo nezomnotho.
Umjikelezo Wokuphila Kwesilokazane Esithwala Igciwane
Ukuqonda i-snail fever, ngaleyo ndlela wazi ukuthi ungayivimbela futhi uyelaphe kanjani, kusho ukuqonda isilokazane esithwala igciwane layo. Iphuzu eliyinhloko yileli: Ukuze sisinde futhi siqhubekele ezizukulwaneni ngezizukulwane, lesi silokazane sidinga izisulu ezimbili, izidalwa ezimbili eziphilayo esingazondla kuzo futhi sikhulele kuzo. Esokuqala isidalwa esincelisayo, njengomuntu; esinye umnenke wasemanzini.
Nakhu okwenzekayo. Lapho umuntu onalesi silokazane esithwala igciwane echama noma ekhiphela indle emanzini esiziba, echibi, omfula omncane noma omkhulu, ukhipha amaqanda alesi silokazane—mhlawumbe kube amaqanda ayisigidi ngosuku. Lamaqanda mancane kakhulu ukuba angabonakala ngaphandle kwesibonakhulu. Lapho amaqanda ethintana namanzi, ayachamuseleka, akhiphe izilokazane ezithwala amagciwane. Lezi zilokazane zisebenzisa uboya obuncanyana obusemizimbeni yazo ukuze zintante ziye emnenkeni wasemanzini, zifike zingene kuwo. Ngaphakathi komneke, emasontweni amane kuya kwayisikhombisa, ziyazalana.
Lapho ziphuma emnenkeni, zisuke zinamahora angu-48 kuphela okuba zithole umuntu, noma esinye isidalwa esincelisayo, bese zingena kuye. Ngaphandle kwalokho, zizofa. Lapho singena kuleso sisulu esisuke sisemanzini, lesi silokazane sibhoboza isikhumba bese singena egazini. Lokhu kungenza umuntu ezwe elunywa, nakuba ngokuvamile engeke azi ukuthi kukhona okungenile kuye. Ngaphakathi egazini, lesi silokazane siphikelela emithanjeni yegazi yesinye noma yamathumbu, kuye ngokuthi siluhlobo luni lwesilokazane. Kungakapheli amasonto amangaki lezi zilokazane ziba izibungu zamaduna nezezinsikazi ezingamamilimitha angu-25 ubude. Ngemva kokukhwelana, insikazi iqala ukuzalela amaqanda egazini lesisulu, ngaleyo ndlela iqedela umjikelezo.
Cishe ingxenye yamaqanda iphuma emzimbeni wesisulu ngendle (lapho kuyi-snail fever ehlasela amathumbu) noma ngomchamo (lapho kuyi-snail fever ehlasela umgudu womchamo). Wonke amanye amaqanda asala emzimbeni futhi alimaze izitho ezibalulekile. Njengoba lesi sifo siqhubeka, isisulu singase singenwe umkhuhlane, kuvuvukale isisu futhi isisulu sophele ngaphakathi. Ekugcineni lesi sifo singabangela umdlavuza wesinye noma ukungasebenzi kwesibindi noma kwezinso. Ezinye izisulu ziba izinyumba noma zikhubazeke. Ezinye ziyafa.
Amakhambi Nezinkinga
Ukuze kuvinjelwe ukusakazeka kwalesi sifo, okungenani zine izinto ezingase zenziwe. Ukube noma yisiphi salezi zinyathelo besisetshenziswa emhlabeni wonke, lesi sifo ngabe saqedwa nyá.
Indlela yokuqala iwukuqeda iminenke emithonjeni yamanzi. Iminenke ibalulekile ukuze isilokazane esithwala igciwane sikhule. Uma ingekho iminenke, ngeke ibe khona i-snail fever.
Umzamo omkhulu kuye kwaba ukukhiqiza ushevu onamandla okubulala iminenke kodwa ungangcolisi indawo ezungezile. Ngeminyaka yawo-1960 nawo-1970, imizamo yokuqeda iminenke yaphumela ekubulaleni konke okuphilayo ezindaweni ezinkulu ezinamanzi. E-Theodor Bilharz Research Institute yase-Egypt kuye kwenziwa imizamo yokuthola i-molluscicide (isibulala-minenke) engazilimazi ezinye izinhlobo zezinto eziphilayo. UDkt. Aly Zein El Abdeen, umongameli walenhlangano, uphawula lokhu mayelana nesibulala-minenke esinjalo: “Sizothelwa emanzini, asetshenziselwa izitshalo, aphuzwa abantu nezilwane, lapho kuhlala khona izinhlanzi, ngakho kufanele siqiniseke ngempela ukuthi konke lokhu akuthinteki.”
Indlela yesibili iwukubulala izilokazane ezithwala igciwane ezikubantu. Kuze kube phakathi nawo-1970, okokwelapha kwakuhlanganisa nemilaliso eyayibangela ezinye izinkinga eziningi. Ngokuvamile, ukwelashwa kwakuhilela ukujovwa kaningana kabuhlungu. Abanye babekhala ngokuthi ukwelashwa kwakubuhlungu kakhulu kunesifo! Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, kuye kwenziwa imithi emisha ephumelelayo ekulweni ne-snail fever, njenge-praziquantel, futhi lemithi ingaphuzwa ngomlomo.
Nakuba lemilaliso iye yabonakala iphumelela emisebenzini yokwelapha e-Afrika naseNingizimu Melika, inkinga enkulu emazweni amaningi kuye kwaba izindleko. Ngo-1991 i-WHO yaphawula: “Amazwe okudlange kuwo lesi sifo awakwazi ukuqhubeka nezinhlelo ezinkulu zokunqanda [i-snail fever] ngenxa yezindleko eziphakeme zezinto zokwelapha; izindleko ezinkulu zalemithi ngokuvamile zingaphezu kwengqikithi yemali ekhona engasetshenziswa abezempilo ekwelapheni umuntu ngamunye e-Afrika.”
Ngisho noma lemithi ingase inikezwe isiguli mahhala, abantu abaningi abayi ukuyolashwa. Kungani? Esinye isizathu ukuthi inani labantu ababulawa yilesi sifo liphansi, ngakho abanye abantu abasibheki njengenkinga engathi sína. Esinye isizathu ukuthi abantu abaziboni ngaso sonke isikhathi izimpawu zalesi sifo. Kwezinye izingxenye ze-Afrika, ukuba nomchamo onegazi (uphawu oluyinhloko lwalesi sifo) kuvame kangangokuba kubhekwa njengento evamile yokukhulela ekuvuthweni.
Indlela yesithathu iwukuvimbela amaqanda angangeni emanzini. Ukube izindlu zangasese bezakhiwe ngendlela yokuba imifula neziziba kungangcoliswa, futhi ukube wonke umuntu ubezisebenzisa, ingozi yokuthola i-snail fever ngabe inciphile.
Ukuhlola okwenziwe embulungeni yonke kubonisa ukwehla okuphawulekayo kwalesi sifo ngemva kokuba kuxhunywe amapayipi amanzi, kwafakwa nezindlu zangasese, kodwa lezi zinto azisona isiqinisekiso sokuthi siyovimbeka. “Kudinga umuntu oyedwa nje ukuba akhiphele indle emseleni wamanzi ukuze umjikelezo uqhubeke,” kuphawula usosayensi u-Alan Fenwick, oye wacwaninga nge-snail fever iminyaka engaphezu kuka-20. Kukhona nengozi yokuthi amapayipi endle aqhumile angaconsisela indle enegciwane emanzini.
Indlela yesine iwukuvimbela abantu bangangeni emanzini anesilokazane esithwala igciwane. Nalokhu futhi akulula ngendlela okungase kubonakale kulula ngayo. Emazweni amaningi, amachibi, imifula emincane nemikhulu okukhiwa kuyo amanzi okuphuza, kugezwa kuyo, kuniselwe izitshalo, kuwashwe nezingubo kuyo. Abadobi bangena kulamanzi nsuku zonke. Kanti lapho likhipha umkhovu etsheni ezindaweni ezishisayo, amanzi angaba idamu lokubhukuda izingane ezingeke ziliyeke.
Liyini Ithemba Lesikhathi Esizayo?
Akungabazeki ukuthi abantu abaqotho nezinhlangano basebenza ngenkuthalo ukuze balwe ne-snail fever nokuthi kuye kwenziwa intuthuko emangalisayo. Abacwaningi basebenzela ngisho nokwenza izindlela zokugomela lesi sifo.
Nakuba kunjalo, amathemba okusiqeda nyá lesi sifo abonakala efiphele. Ephephabhukwini lezokwelapha lesiFulentshi, i-Revue du Praticien, uDkt. M. Larivière uthi: “Naphezu kwempumelelo . . . , lesi sifo asipheli.” Nakuba abantu ngabanye bengase bakwazi ukusivimbela nokuselapha, ikhambi lendawo yonke lenkinga ye-snail fever lingase lingatholakali kuze kufike izwe elisha likaNkulunkulu. IBhayibheli lithembisa ukuthi “abakhé khona abayikusho ukuthi: Ngiyagula.”—Isaya 33:24.
[Isithombe ekhasini 15]
Lapho bengena emanzini angcolile, abantu bangase bangenwe yizilokazane ezibangela i-“snail fever”