Umkhuhlane Wezinkukhu

© Nigel Dennis

iAvian influenza, ebuye yaziwe ngokuthi umkhuhlane wezinkukhu, seyijike yaba esinye sezifo esiyingcuphe kumhlaba jikelele. Lesisifo asibangeli nje kuphela ukulahlekelwa okukhulu kwezomnotho ngokubulala izinkulungwane zezinkukhu njalo ngonyaka, kodwa amanye amagciwane aso njenge, H5N1 kanye ne H7N9, nawo aseyakwazi ukudluliseleka athelele abantu. Igciwane iH5N1 laqala ukutholakala eHong Kong ngo 1997, Ngokwenhlangano yamazwe ebhekelela impilo yezilwane (World Organisation for Animal Health), igciwane liye lasabalala kwelase Asia kuya eEurope kanye neAfrica kusukela ngo 2003.

Igciwane lathelela abantu abangu 468 labulala abantu abangu 282 phakathi konyaka u 2002 no 2009 laphinda lathelela abantu abangu 233 labulala abantu abangu 125 phakathi konyaka u 2010 no 2014. Ukutheleleka nezinga lokufa kwabantu kuye kwehla kusukela ngalesosikhathi, Inhlangano Yezempilo Yamazwe Omhlaba (World Health Organisation) yakhipha imibiko yezehlakalo ezingu 145 kwabikwa nabangu 42 abafayo ngonyaka ka 2015, ngonyaka ka 2016 kwabikwa izehlakalo ezilishumi kwashona abathathu kwathi ngonyaka 2017, kwabikwa izehlakalo ezintathu kwafa oyedwa.

Kuze kubemanje, ukutheleleka kwabantu kubonakala kuqondene nokuthintana ngqo nokuthelelekile nokuba sendaweni esithintekile. Kunokwesabela ukuthi ngokuhamba kwesikhathi lesisifo sigagcina sesikwazi ukuba abantu bathelelane bodwa ngokunamandla.

Izinhlobo ezahlukahlukene

Angaphezu kuka 15 amagciwane omkhuhlane iAvian akhona nawo nachazwa kahle ngohla lwezinhlaka ezimbili ngokubona ukuthi sesibhebhetheke kangakanani isifo kwizinkukhu:

Low pathogenic Avian influenza (Igciwane elingenamandla kakhulu lomkhuhlane iAvian), lapha akubonakali zimpawu, akukho nezinkomba ezibonisa ukugula
Highly pathogenic avina influenza (Igciwane eselidlondlobele lomkhuhlane iAvian), lapha izimpawu zesifo zisuke sezisobala nezinga lukubulala kwaso seliphezulu.

Igciwane iH5N8 elaqhambuluka eNingizimu Afrika ngo 2017 alizange lize libathelele abantu, kodwa laholela ekufeni okwafinyelele cishe ezinkulungwaneni ezingamakhulu amabili ezinkukhu. Abanye abasezimbonini ezathinteleka babika ukuthi ezinye zezinkukhu azizange zize zibonise ngisho nezimpawu ezikhombisa ukugula, kodwa zazivele ziziwele zife ngesibalo esesabisayo.

Izimpawu

Ngokwabe Labhorethi yakwa Lancet kanye nephepha elikhishwe ngabosolwazi bezilwane kuMnyango weZemvelo ngokucacisa ngomkhuhlane iAvian (Department of Agriculture’s Avian Influenza- Veterinary Fact Sheet) kungenzeka lesisifo uma singakabi mandla kakhulu siveze izinkomba ezinjengokuqothuka kwezimpaphe, ukuncipha kwezinga lokukhiqiza amaqanda noma Kanye nezinye izinkomba zobunzima bokuphefumula njengokuthimula nokugedlezela kwemphimbo. Lapho sesidlondlobele, akube kusaba ukuphefumula kuphela okuthintekayo kodwa nezinye izitho nezicubu nokungaholela ekopheni ngaphakathi.

Izimpawu lapho igciwane selidlondlobele kungabalwa okunye kwalokhu okulandelayo: 

Kungenzeka izinkukhu zingakhali, zibonise ukukhathala nokucindezeleka 
Kungaba nokwehla ngokushesha kokukhiqiza amaqanda kuthi amaqanda amaningi abe negobolondo elithambile noma lingabibikho igobolondo kwasanhlobo.
Isikhumba esilenga ngezansi entanyeni yekukhu nogedla (isikhumba esisikhanda) kungenzeka kube nokuvuvuka sibuye sivokomale ngenxa yomfutho wegazi ngaphakathi kuso. 
Ubuso noma isikhumba esingaphansi kwamehlo singaba nokuvuvuka futhi sibe nemibala ongathi uluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka nonsomi (bluish purple).
Isikhumba sezikukhu esizungeze amehlo naso singaba nokuvuvuka 
Izimpawu zobunzima bokuphefumula kungabalwa kuzo ukukhohlela, ukuthimula Kanye nokunqamukelana umoya. 
Izimpawu zokuthinteka ebuchosheni kungabalwa kuzo ukuqhaqhezela, ukujijeka komqala noma amaphiko angabhakuzi. Ezinye zezinhlobo zezinkukhu zingehluleka ukuma bese zigcine sezilele phansi zibe zilokhu zinyakazisa imilenze kungathi iyagwedla 
Izikukhu ziyaye zivamise ukukhishwa isisu kungaba nokophela ngaphakathi kwimisipha esemilenzeni yezinkukhu. 
Kungaqala kufe izikukhu ezimbalwa ngokuqhubeka kwezinsuku, kulandelwe isibalo esiphezulu sokufa esingasondela kwisibalo esigcwele samaphesenti angu 100% kwisikhathi esingamahora angu 48 hrs.

Translated by Nokubonga Guliwe