SELOKHU kubheduke upokisi wezinkawu, iMpox ebuye yaziwe nge-Monkeypox edlange kakhulu kwabesilisa abathandana nobulili obufanayo, kunombuzo wokuthi ngabe yisifo socansi yini.
Uma kuyisifo socansi kungani abezempilo bengaphumeli obala bathi yisifo socansi? Kunalokho balokhu bemile ekutheni noma ngubani angasithola uma esondelene nomuntu onaso.
Ungoti wezifo ezithathelanayo eNyuvesi yaKwaZulu-Natal, uDkt Richard Lessells, uthe lesi sifo akusona esocansi kodwa indlela esitholakala ngayo yenza sibukeke sengathi esocansi. Emasontweni ayisithupha edlule sibhedukile sidlange kwabesilisa abathandana nabanye besilisa. Yize sivela ngalolu hlobo kodwa akusona isifo socansi.
UDkt Lessells uthe lesi sifo sidala, wathi isigameko sokuqala seMpox ehaqe abantu sabikwa ngeminyaka yama -70s, eCentral Africa.
Uthe kukholakala ukuthi lesi sifo okwakungesezilwane sadluliselwa kubantu yizilwane ezincelisayo ezincane (small mammals) namagundane. Ngemuva kwakho sase siphenduka siba yigciwane elisuka komunye umuntu liye komunye uma bethintene.
UDkt Lessells uthe ukuqubuka kwalesi sifo manje emhlabeni-jikelele naseNingizimu Afrika, okuqale ngo-2022, kudaleke ngokuthi onaleli gciwane athelele omunye, asisasuki ezilwaneni.
"I-Mpox ne-Smallpox, isifo ebese siphelile ngenxa yokuthi abantu abaningi bayagoma. Yize i-Mpox ne-Smallpox zinezimpawu ezibonakala zifana kodwa zidalwa izinhlobo ezehlukene zamagciwane," kusho uLessells.
Onalesi sifo uthe uba namabhamuza anamanzi noma izilonda.
"Uketshezi okungaba amanzi aphuma ezilondeni noma okusamafinyila uma kuhlangana ngesikhathi kuthintana isikhumba igciwane lidlulela kanjalo komunye," kusho uLessells.
UDkt Nevashan Govender wesikhungo esibhekelele izifo ezithathelanayo kuleli, iNational Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), uthe uma leli gciwane selingenile esigulini liyaziphindaphinda bese lidlulela ezindlaleni ezisentanyeni.
Uqhube wathi eNingizimu Afrika, ukusuleleka kwenzeka ngemva kokuthintana kwesikhumba, ikakhulukazi ngokuhlangana ngokocansi. Kuneminye imizila engase ibe khona yokudlulisela leli gciwane kodwa yona akucatshangwa ukuthi igciwane lidlulele ngazo kulokhu kuqubuka kwakamuva.
"Ubufakazi besayensi buveza ukuthi abantu abanezifo ezingamahlalakhona basengcupheni yokuthi bagule kakhulu uma kwenzeka behaqwa yileli gciwane. Akubona abaneHIV engalawulwa kahle kuphela," kusho uGovender.
Uthe izimpawu zeMpox zihlanganisa izilonda ezinkulu bezisabalele emlonyeni, emehlweni nasezithweni zangasese, izifo ezibangelwa amagciwane ziba sesikhumbeni, egazini nasemaphashini.
Umsunguli wephephandaba elibhala ezempilo, iBhekisisa Health Journalism, uNkk Mia Malan, ucashunwe kweminye imithombo yezindaba ethi iMpox ayitholakali emoyeni.
“Leli gciwane ulithola kumabhamuza asesikhumbeni somuntu. Lawo mabhamuza anoketshezi. Lawo manzi anegciwane. Ngakho-ke, ukuze uthole i-Mpox, udinga ukuthintana nalawo mabhamuza," kusho uNkk Malan.
“ENingizimu Afrika, iSmallpox ibigonyelwa kwaze kwaba u-1980. Uma uneminyaka engu-45 kuya phezulu maningi amathuba okuthi ungawugomela upokisi. Lowo mgomo ukuvikela ngo-85%, mancane amathuba okuthi uhaqwe iMpox," kucacisa uNkk Malan.
UMnyango wezeMpilo uthe abahaqekile amadoda aneminyaka ephakathi kuka-23 no-43.
Isikhungo esibhekelele imingcele kuleli, iBorder Management Authority (BMA), sesiqale uhlelo lokuthi kuqashwe ukusabalala kwaleli gciwane ngokuthi kuhlolwe izinga lokushisa emzimbeni kubo bonke abangena kuleli. Lolu hlelo luqale kuleli sonto.
Umnyango uthenge umshanguzo iTecovirimat, owaziwa nangokuthi i-TPOXX noma i-ST-246 engatholakali kuleli ukuze isetshenziswe ezigulini ezibambeke kakhulu.
Kunokukhathazeka ukuthi imishanguzo ethengiwe ayenele kodwa okhulumela uMnyango wezeMpilo kuleli, uMnuz Foster Mohale uthe: “U-1% wabantu abahaqekayo ngesonto abadinga ukwelashwa ngalo mshanguzo masonto onke, umnyango usazoyithenga eminye imithi.”