Isemqoka inhlanzeko emathuneni ukugwema izifo
Singangathanda ukucabanga ngakho kodwa uma sesifile iningi lethu liyophelela emangcwabeni.
Amangcwaba aneqhaza elikhulu nelibalulekile emphakathini njengendawo lapho abantu bengazilela khona abathandiweyo babo.
Ngokujwayelekile, amathuna yindawo lapho izidumbu zibola ngaphandle kobungozi empilweni yamalungu omphakathi kodwa ngezinye izikhathi, ikakhulukazi lapho kungahlelekile ukulawula kwemfucuza nendle, amangcwaba angaba yindawo egcina ukungcola okudalwa ngabantu.
Phakathi kwalokhu kungcola kubalwa amabakhithiriya angangena emanzini angaphansi komhlabathi uma kunabantu abahlala eduze kwamangcwaba.
Yona le miphakathi nabahambela amathuna bangaba sengcupheni yokucosha lama bakhithiriya angaba semanzini angaphansi komhlaba noma ngaphezulu.
Izidumbu eseziqala ukonakala zingatshala amabhakhithiriya emhlabathini kodwa okubalulekile ukuthi zihlinzeka lawo asevele ekhona kuleyo ndawo ngokudla.
Kunesilokazana esincane esibizwa nge-Escherichia coli (E.coli) okujwayeleke ukuba kubonakale ngaso ukuthi indawo ethile inokungcola okungakanani ikakhulukazi izindawo ezinamanzi. Lesi silokazana singatholakala emhlabathi, emanzini, ekudleni nasemathunjini abantu nezilwane.
Ukuba kuningi kwaso endaweni kungayizinkomba zokungcola kanti nokwanda kwaso kungadala izifo ezinjengohudo, imeninjayithisi ezinganeni ezisanda kuzalwa nokungena kobuthi ezinsweni nasezinyeni. Nezinye izilwane njengezinyoni zingaguliswa yilesi silokazana.
Ukwanda kwe-E.coli sekuyamaniswe nezifo ezibheduke kwamanye amazwe athuthukile nasathuthuka. Amanye amakhambi okwelapha izifo kubantu aye angazweli ku-E.coli. Sibhekile ukuthola ukuthi ngabe izindawo zokungcwaba zingawagcina yini abamabhakhithiriya afana naleli okuwumbuzo ongakaze uphendulwe.
Ezindaweni ezinamanzi antantayo ibhakhithiriya kanye nokunye ukungcola okunobuthi obuphuma ezidunjini eseziqala ukubola kungawangcolisa amanzi asetshenziswa yimiphakathi ezakhele okungadala ukukhathazeka ngempilo yezakhamuzi.
Ukungcola emathuneni
Esikhathi esiningi ukuthutheleka kwabantu emazweni amaningi asathuthuka kusho ukwanda kwemijondolo eyakhiwe eduze kwamathuna. Njengoba imijondolo eminingi ingenazo izindlu zangasese ezisesimweni esikahle, kulula ukuthi ukungcola okuphuma kuzona kuye emangcwabeni. Kwezinye izikhathi abantu balahla udoti emathuneni ngoba ayikho indlela yokulawula lokhu futhi amaningi awabiyelwe okanye awanayo indlela yokulawula ukungena nokuphuma kwabantu.
Lokhu kugcina sekuholele ekutheni izindawo zokungcwaba zigcwale ukungcola okuphuma kubantu okuhlanganisa nebhakhithiriya elifana ne-E.coli.
Ngenxa yokuthi amathuna akuyona indawo ehlala abantu, izilwane eziningi zizitholela indawo khona. Zona lezi zilwane zithwele i-E.coli emathunjini azo futhi zizikhululeka khona lapha.
Senze ucwaningo eNingizimu Afrika ukuthola ukuthi ngabe amathuna angawagcina yini amagciwane angazweli emakhambini okwelapha izifo sisebenzisa i-E. coli njengebhakhithiriya elizosivezela lokhu esikufunayo. Ucwaningo lwenziwe emathuneni aseMaitland, eDelf naseWelmoed eCape Flats okuyizindawo ezinemijondolo eminingi engakhekile kahle, ezingenayo indlela yokulawula udoti futhi amathuna amaningi akhona okungeneka kalula kuwona ngenxa yokuthi izindonga eziwabiyele sezacekelwa phansi. ICape Flats inamanzi amaningi angajulile ukuya phansi njengoba nje emathuneni aseMaitland kunamanzi ebangeni elingaphansi kwamamitha amabili ukusuka phezulu.
Le ndawo iphinde ibe namanzi aphuma olwandle okwenzeka ikakhulukazi uma ulwandle luphakeme amanzi esekapakela ngaphandle kanti ibhakhithiriya i-E. coli iyazwana nezindawo ezinomswakama.
Sibe sesihlola amanzi esiwakhe ezigwedleni nesiwathathe emaxhaphozini kulawa mathuna ukuthola ukuthi ngabe i-E.coli ingazidala yini izifo kubantu. Siphinde sabheka ukuthi ngabe iyazwela yini emakhambini okujwayelwe ukuba asetshenziswe ukwelapha abantu. Kokunye sithole amaseli ayizi-2 400 e-E. coli kumasampula amanzi angama-100ml ikakhulukazi emanzini esiwathathe ngaphezu komhlabathi.
Amanzi okufanele aphuzwe ngabantu kumele angabinawo nhlobo amaseli e-E. coli kulesi sikalo samanzi. Isibalo sale bhakhithiriya akumele seqe kumaseli angama-575 emanzini angama100ml azosetshenziswa engxenyeni ethile yomzimba futhi akufanele eqe kwangama-235 azosetshenziswa emzimbeni wonke.
Itholakalile futhi le bhakhithiriya emanzini aphuma ezigwedleni noma ingabanga ningi. Amaphesenti angama-42 e-E.coli atholwe kulolu cwaningo angaba nobungozi kubantu kanti angama-87% awazweli okungenani ekhambini lokwelapha elilodwa. Angama-72% awazweli kwangaphezulu kwezinhlobo ezintathu zamakhambi. Amanye awazwelanga kuzona zonke izinhlobo zamakhambi eziyisi-8 ezihloliwe. Ngamanye amazwi, amabhakhithiriya amaningi atholwe emanzini asemathuneni angabanga izifo kubantu futhi awazweli kumakhambi okwelapha.
Ukwenza amathuna angabi yingozi kubantu
Ukugwema ukubhebhetheka kwezifo iWorld Health Organisation (WHO) incoma indlela yezempilo eyodwa ebhekelela abantu, izilwane nemvelo.
Ucwaningo lwethu lukhomba ukuthi amathuna ayingxenye yemvelo kulokho. Uma abantu abahlala emijondolo bethembele emanzini abawakha ezigwedlweni, bangaba senkingeni yokuthi lawo manzi asenobuthi. Nabamba amangcwaba bangatheleleka uma kungaba khona othola ukusikeka esikhumbeni ngesikhathi esebenza.
Omasipala kufanele balubhekisise uhlobo lwenhlabathi nezinga lamanzi uma behlonza izindawo ezizosetshenziselwa ukungcwaba.
Eqinisweni akufanele abantu bahlale eduze kwamangcwaba futhi izakhamuzi kumele zihlinzekwe ngendlela yokulawulwa kwemfucuza namanzi aphephile. Uma kwenzeka kukhona abantu abahlala eduze kwamathuna, kumele bagqugquzelwe ukuthi bangawasebenzisi amanzi aphuma ezigwedlweni.
U-Akebe Luther King Abia uyiResearch Scientist eNyuvesi YaKwaZuluNatali. Lo mbhalo wakhe ushicilelwe kuThe Conversation enobudlelwano bokusebenzisana neBAYEDE