Kufalikira kwa Tizilombo Takupha ta Matenda

Eloise ndi apaulendo anzake anapatsidwa khadi la Health Alert Notice atakwera ndege yochokera ku London kumka ku New York. Munali mu May 1995. Kumaso kwa khadilo kunalembedwa kuti:

“KWA Wapaulendo: Sungani khadili m’chikwama chanu kwamilungu 6. Mutadwala panthaŵiyi, patsani dokotala wanu khadili ndi kumuuza za ulendo wanu waposachedwapa wa kunja kwa United States.

“Mungakhale mutatenga nthenda yoyambukira musanafike mu United States, ndipo kudziŵa zimenezi kungamthandize kwambiri sing’anga wanu pokupimani.”

Ndiponso otumikira m’ndegemo anagaŵira manyuzipepala amene anafotokoza za kubuka kwa Ebola, nthenda yoyambitsidwa ndi vairasi imene inali kupha anthu ambirimbiri ku Zaire.

Eloise anaŵerenga za Ebola—nthenda yoipa ndi yakupha. Poyamba odwala anamva malungo, zilonda pammero, ndi mutu, ndipo mwamsanga anayamba kusanza, kumva kupota m’mimba, ndi kutseguka m’mimba. Ndiyeno anayamba kukha mwazi wochuluka kosaleka, mkati ndi kunja kwa thupi. Pa odwala 9 mwa 10, imfa inachitika mwamsanga.

Miyezi ingapo zisanachitike zimenezo, kunamveka mbiri ya matenda ena achilendo ndi akupha: mwachitsanzo, chaola ku India. Kwina anthu anamwalira pamaola ochepa ndi chimene manyuzipepala anatcha “kachilombo kodya khungu.”

Eloise anatembenuza khadi lomwe anali nalo m’manja. Kuseri kwake kunalembedwa kuti:

“Kwa Dokotala: Wodwala yemwe wakupatsani khadili anali kunja kwa dzikoli posachedwapa, ndipo mwina anatenga nthenda yoyambukira yosaonekaoneka mu United States. Ngati muganiza kuti ali ndi nthenda yachilendo yoyambukira (kolera, hemorrhagic fever, malungo, yellow fever, ndi zina zotero), chonde dziŵitsani nthaŵi yomweyo Dokotala wa mzinda wanu, dera, kapena Boma lanu ndiponso (patelefoni—kumtengera ku) Division of Quarantine, Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta, Georgia . . . ”

Khadilo linasonyeza nkhaŵa yomakula m’maiko onse yokhudza kufalikira kwa tizilombo takupha ta matenda—maparazaiti, mabakiteriya, ndi mavairasi—timene, pambuyo pobutsa mliri kudera lina padziko lapansi, tingafalikire mofulumira kumadera ena monga moto wakuthengo. Mosiyana ndi Eloise ndi apaulendo anzake, tizilombo ta matenda sitimanyamula mapasipoti kapena kusamala za malire a dziko. Pokhala mwa munthu wotinyamulayo, timayenda mosavuta kwenikweni popanda kutizindikira.

Pamene anali kuika bwinobwino khadi la Health Alert Notice limenelo m’chikwama chake, Eloise anadzifunsa kuti, ‘Kodi matenda akupha ameneŵa akuchokera kuti? Kodi nchifukwa ninji sayansi yamakono ya zamankhwala ikuchita ngati ikulephera kuwagonjetsa?’ Mwinamwake inunso munaganizapo pankhaniyi.