Impica-badala “Yokusangana Kwezinkomo” EBrithani

Ngomlobeli wePhaphama! eBrithani

NGONOVEMBER 1986 isifo esethusayo savela okokuqala ngqá ezinkomeni zaseBrithani. Kusukela ngalesosikhathi, izilwane ezingaphezu kuka-11 000 ziye zangenwa yilelogciwane, isonto ngalinye kubikwa ezilithola kabusha ezingu-200. Lapho lesifo sibizwa ngokusemthethweni ngokuthi ibovine spongiform encephalopathy, noma iBSE uma sifushaniswa, imithombo yezindaba ngokushesha yabiza lesisifo ngokuthi isifo ‘sokuSangana Kwezinkomo’ ngenxa yezimpawu zaso ezibanga usizi.

Iyini iBSE, yaqala kanjani, futhi kungani idala ukukhathazeka okungaka?

IBSE iwuhlobo lokusangana okulimaza izingxenye zobuchopho ngenxa yamaprotein angahlelekile achazwa ngokuthi “izici ezithathelwana ngendlela engavamile.” Lapho sibukwa ngesibona-khulu, isitho esinalesifo sibonakala sintofontofo, sinezimbobo. Njengoba isifo siqhubeka, isilwane siba nolaka bese siyazaca, futhi lapho singasakwazi ukulawula amanqina, siyawa futhi sife noma kuyaye kudingeke ukuba sibulawe.

Izinkomo zathola iBSE esifweni sezimvu, isifo sokusangana esihlobene naso eduze esivamé ezimvini zaseBrithani. Kwenzeka kanjani lokhu?

Ukudla Kwesimanje Kwezinkomo

Inkomo iyisilwane esiklabayo esetshisayo futhi ngokuvamile esiphila ngokudla uhlaza, ngokuyinhloko utshani. Nokho, eminyakeni yamuva, abenzi bokudla kwezinkomo baseBrithani baye benezela amaprotein okuzenzela ekudleni okungokwemvelo. Lawa ahlanganisa udoti wasemadeleni, kuhlanganisa nezidumbu zezimvu ezinesifo sazo, ezigaywayo, ziphekwe, bese ziyomiswa. Akuzona kuphela izinkomo eziye zathola igciwane kodwa nezinhlobo ezinhlanu zezinyamazane, kuhlanganisa neoryx engavamile yaseArabia, nazo ziye zafa eziqiwini zaseBrithani zibulawa izifo zengqondo. Zonke zaphiwa lokhu kudla kwezinkomo okuthengiswayo. Izilwane zoboya bekhethelo ezifuywe emapulazini ziye zathola izifo ezihlobene nalezi, okukholelwa ukuthi ziwumphumela wokudliswa kwazo inyama yangaphakathi eluhlaza yemvu.

Ukuhlola kwembula ukuthi kokubili iBSE nesifo sokusangana kwezimvu zimelana ngokungavamile nezinga eliphakeme lokushisa, imisebe eyenza amaion, nokukhanya kweultraviolet. Ukupheka okuvamile nezinye izinhlobo zokuqeda amagciwane ngeke kuzibulale lezizici eziyimpica-badala. Nakuba kungekho-bufakazi obuqinile bokuthi abantu baye bangenwa isifo sokusangana sezimvu, umbuzo okhathazayo manje yilona: Iyiphi ingozi iBSE enayo kubantu abadla imikhiqizo yezinkomo?

Ingabe Zihlobene Nabantu?

Umbono ongokomthetho kahulumeni waseBrithani, owashiwo uJohn Gummer, ungqongqoshe wezolimo, uwukuthi, “akukho muntu okumelwe akhathazeke ngeBSE kulelizwe noma kwenye indawo.” Kodwa abaqiniseki kangako bonke. URichard Lacey, uprofesa weclinical microbiology eYunivesithi yaseLeeds, eNgilandi, wabhala ephephandabeni i-Independent wathi: “Uma kuwukuthi inkomo yathola isifo ekudleni kwayo, khona-ke umgudu wokusidlulisela, okungenani ekuqaleni, wawuwumlomo. Lokhu kwenza kube nokwenzeka kakhulu ukuba sidlulele kumuntu ngomlomo.”

Ngokuvumelana nokucabanga okunjalo, iJalimane iye yavala yonke inyama yenkomo evela eBrithani ngoba abakwazi ukuthola isiqinisekiso sokuthi ivela emihlanjini yezinkomo engenayo iBSE. IUnited States iye yavala ukuthengwa kwenyama yenkomo, imibungu, nesidoda senkomo eBrithani. IU.S.S.R iye yadlulela ngalé, nayo ivala inyama yemvu neyembuzi eyithenga eBrithani, kanye nemikhiqizo yobisi, ngenxa yeBSE. Ezinye izikole eNgilandi ziye zanquma ukupheka inyama yenkomo evela emihlanjini okuqinisekisiwe ukuthi ayinaso isifo.

Phakathi kwezinyathelo ezithathiwe, uhulumeni uye wenqabela ukudayiswa kwenye inyama yangaphakathi. Minyaka yonke umphakathi waseBrithani uchitha amaRandi ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezingu-7,8 enyameni yenkomo nasekudleni okwenziwe ngenyama yenkomo, okunjengamaburger, nophaya, futhi udinga ukuqinisekiswa ngokuthi impilo yawo ayikho engozini. Nokho, “kungase kuthathe ishumi leminyaka noma ngaphezulu ngaphambi kokuba kunikezwe isiqinisekiso esiphelele” sokuthi iBSE ayidluleli kubantu isuka ezinkomeni, kuvuma umbiko ongokomthetho kahulumeni. “Inkinga,” kuchaza uDkt. Richard Kimberlin, owayengumqondisi weGumbi leNeuropathogenesis eEdinburgh, “iwubude besikhathi sokuchamusela. Uma iBSE iyibeka engozini impilo yomphakathi, ngesikhathi lokhu sekuvelile njengokwanda kwenani leziguli zeCJD, kuyobe sekwephuze kakhulu ukuba kwenziwe noma yini ngabantu abayobe sebenayo kakade.”a

Okwamanje, ososayensi bafuna ngokuphuthumayo ubufakazi, obusha, obuqondile bokuqeda lokhu kwesaba, futhi uhulumeni waseBrithani uye wabekela eceleni imali engamaRandi ayizigidi ezingu-52 yokusiza kulokhu kuhlola. Kodwa njengoba iBritish Medical Journal ikubeka ngamazwi apholisayo: “Ukulondeka kwenyama yenkomo akukakahlolwa futhi kungase kungahloleki.”

Ingabe Uyoyidla?

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi uyini umphumela empilweni yabantu, inkulumo-mpikiswano ngeBSE iye yadonsela ukunaka komphakathi emkhubeni wokujikelezisa ukungcola kwezilwane. Izinkomo nezinkukhu zaseBrithani ziye zaqhubeka ziphiwa udoti owelashiwe wezinkukhu, owaziwa kwezebhizinisi ngokuthi iDPM (dried poultry manure [umanyolo wezinkukhu owomisiwe]), inhlanganisela yendle, izimpaphe, nezinyoni ezifile. Igazi elomisiwe lezingulube, elinongwe ngoshokoledi, linikezwa amathole. Nakuba ayengavunyelwe ngokomthetho ukuba aphiwe izinkomo kusukela ngoJuly 1988, amakhanda ezimvu aphelele, nenyama yazo yangaphakathi, kusagaywa futhi kuphiwe izingulube nezinkukhu. Imikhuba enjalo ilahlwa “njengengeyona eyemvelo” komunye umbiko ongokomthetho kahulumeni. Abanye bangase bayithethelele ngesisekelo sokuthi iyasebenziseka futhi iyonga ekukhiqizweni kokudla. Kodwa ngokwempilo, ingabe ifanelekile?

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Ukukhanya ngalé kwezimbobo ebuchosheni benkomo ephethwe iBSE

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J.A.H. Wells, Crown Copyright Material