HIKI NDICHO KINACHOVUTIA
MBU KUMUUMA BINADAMU
Ukitaja mbu, wazo
litakalomjia mtu kwa haraka ni ugonjwa wa malaria. Hiyo inatokana na mazoea
yenye ukweli kwamba, mdudu huyo hueneza ugonjwa huo kama ilivyo kwa malale na
matende.
Lakini kuna baadhi ya mambo
kuhusu tabia ya mbu ambayo watu wengi hawayafahamu, mbali na sifa yake
ya kueneza magongwa, hasa malaria.
Hebu jiulize; hivi umewahi
kukaa na wenzako watano lakini ukajikuta ni wewe peke yako ndiye unayelalamika
kwamba unang’atwa na mbu?
Kama umekutwa na hali
hiyo, basi unaweza kuwa mmoja wa watu walio kivutio kwa mbu.
Kwa kawaida, mvuto hutokana na
harufu ya asili inayotoka mwilini mwa mtu anayeshambuliwa zaidi na mbu.
Wanasayansi wanasema kwamba mtu
mmoja kati ya watano huwa kivutio cha mbu na kwamba mdudu huyo akinusa harufu
ya mtu huyo, hata akiwa na wenzake zaidi wanne, basi atakwenda kwake na kwamba
hata akifukuzwa, mbu huyo atarudi na kumuuma tena mtu huyo.
Daktari bingwa wa upasuaji wa
Marekani, Joseph Mercola anasema kuwa kuna aina nyingi za mbu, lakini asilimia
kubwa ya mbu wenye tabia hiyo ni mbu jike aina ya Anofelesi, ambao pia
huambukiza malaria.
Anasema kuwa mbali na tabia
hiyo mbu hao huvutiwa na maeneo yenye kemikali kwa kunusa harufu hiyo umbali wa
mita 50 kutoka walipo kabla ya kwenda kwenye eneo hilo. Mbu jike ndiyo
huvutiwa zaidi na kupenda kunyonya damu ya binadamu kuliko mbu dume.
Dk Mercola ambaye ameandika
majarida mbalimbali ya afya, anasema kuwa mbu jike hupendelea kufanya hivyo kwa
sababu madini ya chuma na protini wanayonyonya kwenye damu ya binadamu
huwasaidia kutengeneza mayai na baadaye kuzaliana.
Kutokana na hilo, wanasayansi
wamebaini kuwa mbu huvutiwa na bakteria.
Wanasema binadamu ana bakteria
trilioni moja kwenye ngozi, lakini kati ya hao, asilimia 10 tu ndiyo hufanana
kwa binadamu wote na asilimia nyingine hutofautiana, hali ambayo huchangia
baadhi ya watu kuumwa zaidi na mbu kuliko wengine.
Kwa mujibu wa wanasayansi hao,
asilimia kubwa ya mbu huvutiwa zaidi na harufu ya kemikali ya lactic,
ammonia, carboxylic na octenol ambazo hutoka kinywani kwa binadamu,
kwenye jasho, pamoja na gesi carbon dioxide anayotoa binadamu.
“Kadri unavyotoa hewa yenye
gesi ya Carbon dioxide ndipo unavyowavutia zaidi mbu. Kutokana na hilo, watu
wanene hung’atwa zaidi na mbu kwa sababu hutoa harufu hiyo zaidi ikilinganishwa
na watu wembamba,” anasema Dk Mercola.
Moyo
Kuhusu mapigo ya moyo,
mtaalamu huyo anasema: “Kadri moyo wako unavyodunda, ndivyo unavyoweza kuwa
kivutio kwa mbu. Mfano, kama unafanya mazoezi na mwili wako ukapata joto
sana lazima mbu watakung’ata zaidi hasa ukiwa na pumzi ndogo.”
Dk Mercola anasema mbu
huvutiawa na harufu inayotokana na mabadiliko ya kemikali ndani ya mwili wa
binadamu.
Anaeleza kuwa mara nyingi
mabadiliko hayo hutokea na kusababisha mtu kutoa jasho na harufu ya kipekee.
“Kama unanukia harufu
nzuri ambayo ni halisi, mbu hawavutiwi na wewe. Lakini ikitokea unanuka uvundo,
basi lazima utakuwa kivutio chao na watakusumbua na kukuuma zaidi,” anasema.
Maelezo ya wanasayansi hao
yanaendana na utafiti uliofanywa na wataalamu wa afya kutoka Taasisi ya Ifakara
(IHI), ulioangazia tabia ya mbu hasa harufu, ilipotafiti njia mbadala ya
kukinga binadamu dhidi ya wadudu hao.
Watafiti hao walibaini kuwa,
mbali na maeneo yenye unyevunyevu, mbu huvutiwa zaidi na harufu ya uvundo.
Sehemu au kitu chochote chenye harufu hiyo, huwa na mbu zaidi.
Utafiti huo wa Ifakara,
umewawezesha kubuni mbinu mbalimbali za kuuwa mbu, ikiwamo ya ‘mosquito landing
box’, ambalo hujazwa vitu vilivyovunda pamoja na kifaa chenye shoti na huwekwa
nje ya nyumba ili kuwavutia mbu ambao hufa kwa kupigwa shoti. Boski hilo
hufanya mbu wasiingie ndani ya nyumba.
Daktari kutoka Hospitali ya
Mwanyamala, Dar es Salaam, Dk Syriacus Buguzi anasema kuwa kuna tafiti kadhaa
ambazo zimeonyesha uhusiano uliopo kati ya harufu na tabia ya mbu.
Akitoa mfano wa watu
wanaowavutia zaidi mbu anasema: “Moja tafiti zilizowahi kufanywa ni zile
zinazohusu wanawake wajawazito, ambao hung’atwa zaidi na mbu kutokana na harufu
wanayotoa wakiwa katika hali hiyo.
“Ili kigundua kwa nini kina
mama hawa walikuwa wakishambuliwa na malaria zaidi wakati wa ujauzito,
iligundulika kwamba hutoa harufu fulani inayowavutia mbu … iliaminika kwamba
kina mama hao hutoa jasho lenye kemikali ambayo ina harufu inayovutia mbu.”
Pia, utafiti uliofanywa
mwaka 1999 ulibaini kuwa jasho la binadamu likikaa kwa siku mbili huanza
kutoa harufu ya uvundo na kuvutia mbu, hasa waenezao ugonjwa wa malaria.
Pia, bakteria wanaotengenezwa
kutokana na joto, huoza na kutengeneza kemikali yenye harufu
inayowavuatia mbu.
Kadhalika, mbu huvutiwa na
harufu ya joto linalotoka kwenye miguu, baada ya kuvaa viatu kwa muda mrefu.
Daktari huyo anasema hata ikitokea mtu amevua soksi na kuzihifadhi bila
kuzifua, mbu watajaa katika sehemu hiyo kutokana na harufu.
Hata hivyo, Dk Buguzi anasema
mbali na mbu kuvutiwa na harufu hizo, kuna wakati pia mwili wa binadamu hutoa
harufu ambayo huwafanya wakimbie.
Anasema harufu hiyo ambayo
kitaalamu huitwa ‘methylpiperzine’ ndiyo wataalamu waliyotumia kutengeneza dawa
ya kufukuza mbu inayoitwa kitaalamu ‘DEET’ (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide)
Watu wanaotoa kamikali ya
‘1-methylpiperzine’ hawafuatwi na mbua kama ilivyo kwa wale ambao hawatoi
kemikali hiyo.
Unawezaje kujikinga
Dk Mercola anabainisha kwamba
namna bora na ya asili ya kujikinga na mbu ni kukaa ndani ya nyumba, ambako
hakuna mbu.
Anasema ukikaa nje hasa sehemu
zenye unyevunyevu ambazo mbu hupendelea lazima watakung’ata.
“Hakikisha unafanya usafi wa
mazingira nje ya nyumba yako na kusiwe na unyevunyevu,” anasema.
Taasisi ya Kuzuia Mbu ya
Marekani (AMCA) ilianisha njia nyingine zinazoweza kusaidia watu kujizuia
kuumwa na mbu ambazo ni pamoja na kusafisha mazingira na kuondoa madimbwi ya
maji nje ya nyumba.
Pia, kuvaa mavazi ambayo hayaachi baadhi ya sehemu za mwili wazi
kama miguu na mikono kwa kuwa maeneo hayo yakifunikwa vizuri siyo rahisi mbu
kuuma.
Dk Janet Hull wa Marekani anasema utafiti uliofanyika mwaka 1960
ulibainisha kuwa, unywaji wa vidonge vya Vitamini B1 unasaidia kufukuza mbu
asimuume binadamu.
“Matone hayo husaidia mwili kutoa hafuru ambayo huwafanya mbu
wasimsogelee binadamu huyo,” anasema.
Dk Hull anasema kunywa kidonge kimoja cha Vitamini B1 kwa miezi
saba ni njia nzuri inayoshauriwa na wataalamu wa afya ili usiumwe na mbu.
Anaongeza kuwa ulaji wa vitunguu swaumu mara kwa mara pia
husaidia kutoa harufu ambayo hufanya mbu wakimbie wanapokaribiana na mtu mwenye
harufu hiyo.
Ufanyaje?
Daktari wa tiba ya magonjwa ya binadamu, Samweli Shitta anasema
mbali na mbu waenezao malaria, kuna aina nyingi za mbu.
Anasema baadhi ya watu wakiumwa na mbu huvimba, wengine huwashwa
na wengine hupata vipele au harara ambazo huacha makovu kwenye ngozi.
“Kuna mbu waenezao ugonjwa wa matende, kuna wengine wakikung’ata
unawashwa, unapata upele na wengine kupata uvimbe kwa sababu ngozi
zinatofautiana,” anasema.
Anasema ikiwa mtu amepatwa na hali hiyo anaweza kutumia dawa za
kutibu mzio, ambazo husaidia kupunguza muwasho, kuondoa harara pamoja na alama
zinazoweza kutokea kwenye ngozi.
Dk Mercola anaongeza kuwa, njia nyingine ni kutumia dawa za
asili kama mdalasini kwa kuchanganya na asali, kisha kupaka mwilini, mafuta ya
mzeituni, sabuni ya ‘citronella’ na mafuta ya nazi.
MALARIA
DIAGNOSIS NOW IN 20 SECONDS WITH NO BLOOD
Dar es Salaam.Testing for malaria, Africa’s biggest killer, has for many years
involved pain and blood, with patients having to wait several minutes before
knowing whether they are infected or not.
Gone are the days
of testing blood samples for malaria parasites and results can now be obtained
within 20 seconds, thanks to a breakthrough in malaria diagnosis made earlier
this week. The test costs 50 US cents (Sh800), which is much lower than what
most private hospitals charge for a blood slide test.
The new testing
method is the result of research financed to the tune of $100,000 (Sh160
million) by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
According to a
report obtained by The Citizen, the method does not require blood samples or
reagents to establish whether someone is infected with malaria parasites.
Patients are tested through their skins, with results being known within 20
seconds.
The kit used does
not require a medical professional to do the testing and can be powered by a
car battery, according to Dr Dmitri Lapotko from the US-based Rice University,
who discovered the device.
“Ours is the first
through-the-skin method that’s been shown to rapidly and accurately detect
malaria in seconds without the use of blood sampling or reagents,” he said.
The new test kit
requires only one body cell to detect the disease, and is a far cry from
labour-intensive traditional testing methods, which are usually conducted by
medical professionals.
The new test has
been described as “very accurate” because it relies on a laser, which creates
minute vapour bubbles that give off a signature sound when the device is placed
on the skin.
Dr Lapotko said
the technology had been found to be safe in healthy humans. Malaria parasites
have become more resistant to drugs, and efficient skin testing and early
diagnosis are largely unavailable in the countries like Tanzania, which have
been hit hard by the killer scourge.
Malaria is one of
the world’s deadliest diseases, causing over 600,000 deaths among the more than
300 million people it affects worldwide annually.
According to the
2012 World Health Organisation report, malaria is a global health priority and
is prevalent in 99 countries where 3 billion people are at risk of acquiring
the disease. Health experts in Tanzania say the new testing method will go a
long way in reducing malaria deaths in the country.
The disease is one
of the leading causes of death in Tanzania, where there are between 10 and 12
million malaria cases annually.
Ninety-seven per
cent of the population is at risk of acquiring malaria, with the illness
accounting for over 30 per cent of the national disease burden, according to
government statistics.
Rural people are
at a higher risk because of a shortage of health centres and health
professionals to carry out diagnosis accurately.
Dr Julius Massaga
of the National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) says even at the cost of
50 US cents (Sh800), the new test kit will still be out of the reach of many
Tanzanians.
He adds, however,
that NIMR has not done any research on the new test and health workers still
use the rapid diagnostic test (RDT), which entails microscopic examination of
blood samples. “The RDT, which can provide results within 15 minutes. We are
not aware of the invention of another testing method,” Dr Massaga admits.
But the head of
the Pathology Unit at Muhimbili National Hospital, Dr Amos Mwakigonja, says he
was not entirely surprised because nanotechnology had been doing wonders in
medicine.
“Such devices are
easy to use, but I don’t think we’ll see them in Tanzania any time soon because
of the advanced technology used in their development,” he says.
The new diagnostic
technology uses a low-powered laser that creates tiny vapour “nanobubbles”
inside malaria-infected cells. The bursting bubbles have a unique acoustic
signature that allows for an extremely sensitive diagnosis.
The skin
diagnostic method takes advantage of the optical properties and nanosize of
hemozoin, a nanoparticle produced by a malaria parasite inside red blood cell.
Hemozoin crystals are not found in normal red blood cells.
Inexpensive rapid
diagnostic tests exist, but they lack sensitivity and reliability. The gold
standard for diagnosing malaria is a “blood smear” test, which requires a
sample of the patient’s blood, a trained laboratory technician, chemical
reagents and high-quality microscope. These are often unavailable in
low-resource hospitals and clinics in the developing world.
SOURCE: THE CITIZEN, Wednesday, January
15, 2014
BINTI MBARONI AKITUHUMIWA KUTUPA MTOTO
Bunda.
Mkazi wa Kijiji cha Namibu wilayani Bunda, Adventina Makongo (17) jana
alifikishwa katika Mahakama ya Hakimu Mkazi wa wilaya hiyo kujibu shtaka la
kutupa mtoto wake mwenye umri wa mwaka mmoja na nusu kichakani.
Ilidaiwa
mahakamani hapo na Mwendesha Mashtaka,Mkaguzi Msaidizi wa Polisi, Masoud
Mohamed kuwa Adventina alitenda kosa hilo Desemba 15 mwaka huu saa moja jioni
katika kile alichodai kuwa ni kushindwa kumhudumia mtoto huyo aliyekimbiwa na
baba yake.
Masoud
alisema siku hiyo mshtakiwa alimchukua mtoto wake na kwenda naye nje kidogo ya
kijiji hicho na kumtelekeza katika kichaka kisha akatokomea kusikojulikana
kabla ya mtoto huyo kuokotwa na msamaria aliyempeleka Kituo Kidogo cha Polisi
cha Kibara.
Alisema
baada ya kupokea taarifa hiyo polisi ilianza kumsaka mzazi huyo ambapo
lilifanikiwa kumkamata baada ya wiki moja, baadaye na kukiri kufanya kosa hilo
kutokana na ugumu wa maisha unaomkabili.
CHANZO: MWANANCHI: TAREHE 01/01/2014
.
BE PART OF YOUR
FAMILY
ACCEPT wisdom as a beloved member of your family.
For wickedness brings grief to a family, but wisdom brings happiness. Love your
family and be kind to them. The fool who provokes his family to anger and
resentment will finally have nothing worthwhile left; he shall be the servant
of a wiser man. Prov.7:4, Prov.8:31.
WATOTO 5,800 WAISHI HATARINI DAR
na Irene Mark
|
WATOTO zaidi ya 5,800 wanaishi katika mazingira
magumu na hatarishi jijini Dar es Salaam.
Hayo yalibainika wakati wa uzinduzi wa ripoti ya
utafiti wa hali halisi ya maisha ya watoto waliopo kwenye mazingira magumu na
hatarishi iliyozinduliwa jana na Mkurugenzi wa Manispaa ya Ilala, Gabriel
Fuime.
Katika uzinduzi huo, Fuime aliwataka wadau
mbalimbali yakiwemo mashirika ya kiraia kushirikiana na serikali ili kuwaokoa
watoto hao huku akibainisha kwamba kuendelea kuwaacha kwenye mazingira hayo
kunakwamisha maendeleo ya nchi.
“Ripoti inaonyesha Jiji la Dar es Salaam kwa
kiasi kikubwa lina watoto wengi wanaoishi katika mazingira hatarishi…hatuna
budi kushirikiana kuhakikisha tunakiokoa kizazi hicho kwa faida ya taifa
zima,” alisema Fuime.
Katika utafiti huo imebainika kwamba watoto 687
sawa na asilimia 68 ya watoto 1,006 waliohojiwa walisema wamekuja Dar es
Salaam kutokana na hali ngumu ya maisha huko vijijini.
Awali Kamishna wa Ustawi wa Jamii, Danford
Makala, alisema ipo haja ya kuwaokoa watoto hao ili kuwaondoa katika
changamoto ya ukosefu wa elimu na malezi bora.
Utafiti huo umefanywa na vituo vya Kiwohede,
Dogodogo na Makini vilipewa msaada na serikali kwa hisani ya Shirika la Umoja
wa Mataifa linaloshughulikia watoto (UNICEF) ili kuboresha maisha ya watoto
wanaoishi kwenye mazingira magumu na hatarishi.
Makala alisema asasi hizo zilifanya utafiti huo
wenye lengo la kupata uelewa zaidi wa hali ya watoto wa mitaani jijini hapa
ili kupanga na kutekeleza mikakati inayolenga kuwafikishia huduma muhimu.
jumamosi, 8 septemba 2012, Tanzania Daima
 |
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