Kuyini iBilharzia?
Eyaziwa nangokuthi i-schistosomiasis noma i-snail fever, i-bilharzia yisifo esibangelwa ama-flatworms angama-parasitic okuthiwa i-schistosomes. Ama-parasites athwalwa imikhombe yamanzi ahlanzekile, futhi abantu bangakwazi ukutheleleka ngemuva kokuxhumana ngqo nemithambo yamanzi engcolile kuhlanganise namachibi, amachibi kanye namanzi okunisela. Kunezinhlobo eziningana ezihlukahlukene ze-schistosoma, okuyinto ethinta izitho zangaphakathi ezihlukene.
Ngokusho kwe-World Health Organization, cishe abantu abayizigidi ezingu-258 banesifo se-bilharzia ngo-2014. Nakuba lesi sifo asibulali masinya, uma singelashwa singabangela umonakalo omkhulu wangaphakathi futhi ekugcineni, ukufa. Kwenzeka kwezinye izingxenye ze-Asia neSouth America, kodwa ivame kakhulu e-Afrika, ikakhulukazi emazweni ashisayo nasezindaweni ezisemngceleni waseSahara.
I-Bilharzia inqatshelwe kanjani?
Amachibi namachiza ekuqaleni ahlambulukile ngemuva kokuba abantu abane-bilharzia urinate noma bahlukumeze kuwo. Amaqanda okuthiwa i-Schistosoma adlula kubantu abathintekayo emanzini, lapho aphuza khona bese esebenzisa imisinja yamanzi ahlanzekile njengendawo yokukhiqiza. Izimpungushe eziholela ekugcineni zikhishwe emanzini, emva kwalokho zingangena emzimbeni wabantu abaza emanzini okugeza, ukugibela, ukugeza izingubo noma izinhlanzi.
Izimpungushe zikhula zibe ngabantu abadala abahlala egazini, bebavumela ukuba bahambisane nomzimba futhi bafake izitho ezihlanganisa amaphaphu, isibindi namathumbu.
Ngemva kwamasonto ambalwa, ama-parasites omdala abashade naye futhi akhiqiza amaqanda amaningi. Kungenzeka ukuthi uvumelane ne-bilharzia ngokuphuza amanzi angaphenduliwe; Kodwa-ke, lesi sifo asithathelisi futhi asikwazi ukudluliselwa kusuka komunye umuntu kuya kwesinye.
I-Bilharzia ingakugwema kanjani?
Ayikho indlela yokwazi ukuthi ngabe umzimba wamanzi usulelekile yini nge-parasites ye-bilharzia; Kodwa-ke, kufanele kubhekwe njengento engenzeka kuwo wonke amazwe ase-Afrika eseNingizimu-Sahara, eMfuleni iNayile yoMfula waseSudan naseGibhithe, naseMaghreb Region enyakatho-ntshonalanga ye-Afrika.
Nakuba empeleni ukubhukuda kwamanzi okuphuza ngokuvamile kuphephile, indlela kuphela yokugwema ingozi ye-bilharzia ngokuphelele akufanele ikwazi ukuzitholela.
Ikakhulukazi, gwema ukubhukuda ezindaweni ezaziwa ukuthi unesandulela ngculaza, kuhlanganise namachibi amaningi aseRift Valley neLwandle elihle laseMalawi . Ngokusobala, ukuphuza amanzi angaphathwa kabi kuyisimo esibi, ikakhulukazi njengoba i-bilharzia ingenye yezifo eziningi zase-Afrika ezithunyelwa ngamanzi angcolile. Esikhathini eside, izixazululo ze-bilharzia zihlanganisa ukungcola okuthuthukisiwe, ukulawulwa komkhumbi nokwandisa ukufinyelela kwamanzi aphephile.
Izimpawu nemiphumela ye-Bilharzia
Kunezinhlobo ezimbili eziyinhloko ze-bilharzia: i-urogenital schistosomiasis ne-schistosomiasis emathunjini. Izimpawu zobabili zibonakaliswa njengomphumela wokuphendula kwesisulu emaqanda ama-parasite, kunokuba kube nama-parasites ngokwabo. Isibonakaliso sokuqala sokutheleleka yisikhumba kanye / noma isikhumba esilula, ngokuvamile esibizwa nge-Swimmer's Itch. Lokhu kungenziwa ngamahora ambalwa okuthintekayo, futhi kuqhubeka cishe izinsuku eziyisikhombisa.
Lokhu kuwukuphela kwesibonakaliso sokuqala sokutheleleka, njengoba ezinye izimpawu zingathatha amasonto amathathu kuya kwangu-8 ukuvela. Nge-schistosomiasis ye-urogenital, uphawu olubalulekile igazi e-urine. Kulabo besifazane, kungenza ubulili bube buhlungu futhi bubangele ukuphuma kwegciwane lesisu nomzimba wesisu (okwakamuva okungenza ukuthi izisulu zibe nesifo sengculaza).
Kuzo zombili zobulili, umdlavuza wesisu nesifo sokubeletha kungabangela ukuvezwa isikhathi eside kuma-schistosoma.
I-schistosomiasis emathunjini ngokuvamile ibonakala ngezibonakaliso ezihlukahlukene, kuhlanganise ukukhathala, ubuhlungu obukhulu besisu, isifo sohudo kanye nokudlula kwezihlalo zamanzi. Ezimweni ezimbi kakhulu, lolu hlobo lokutheleleka luphinde lubangele ukwandiswa kwesibindi nesibhande; kanye nesibindi kanye / noma ukwehluleka kwezinso. Izingane zithinteka ikakhulukazi yi-bilharzia, futhi zingase zihlupheke ngokwegazi, ukukhula okunamandla kanye nezinkinga zokuqonda okubenza kube nzima ngabo ukuba bagxile futhi bafunde esikoleni.
Ukwelashwa kwe-Bilharzia:
Nakuba imiphumela yesikhathi eside ye-bilharzia ingaba yincithakalo, kunezidakamizwa ezilwa ne-anti-schistosomiasis etholakalayo. I-Praziquantel isetshenziselwa ukwelapha zonke izinhlobo zesifo, futhi iphephile, engabizi futhi iphumelele ekuvimbeleni umonakalo wesikhathi eside.
Ukuxilonga kungaba nzima, kodwa ikakhulukazi uma ufuna usizo lwezokwelapha ezweni lapho i-bilharzia ingabonakali khona. Ngenxa yalesi sizathu, kubalulekile ukukhuluma ukuthi usanda kubuya e-Afrika.
Lesi sihloko sibuyekezwe nguJessica Macdonald ngoSepthemba 5, 2016.