IGIHE abahanga mu bya siyansi bavumburaga imiti mu kinyejana cya 20 rwagati, abaganga bumvaga ko iyo miti yari kuzatuma indwara zimwe na zimwe zicika. Mu mizo ya mbere, iyo miti yasaga n’aho yagize icyo igeraho. Ariko kuba baratangiye kuyikoresha hirya no hino, byatumye habaho za mikorobe iyo miti idashobora kwica.

Kugira ngo abahanga mu bya siyansi bashobore guhangana n’indwara, barimo barashaka uko bakongera gukoresha uburyo bwakoreshwaga kera mu kuzivura. Bumwe muri bwo ni ugufasha umubiri gukoresha neza akuka keza n’imirase y’izuba.

Kera u Bwongereza bwari bufite abantu benshi bemeraga ko izuba n’umwuka mwiza ari umuti. Imiti umuganga witwa John Lettsom (1744-1815) yandikiraga abana barwaye igituntu, ni umwuka mwiza wo ku nyanja n’akazuba. Mu wa 1840, umuganga witwa George Bodington yavuze ko abantu bakorera ahari umwuka mwiza, urugero nk’abahinzi, aborozi n’abashumba, baba bafite amahirwe yo kutandura igituntu, mu gihe abamara igihe kirekire cyane mu nzu baba bafite ibyago byo kucyandura.

Florence Nightingale (wabayeho mu wa 1820-1910) yabaye ikirangirire kubera ibintu bishya yazanye mu buvuzi, igihe yitaga ku nkomere z’abasirikare b’u Bwongereza mu ntambara y’i Crimée. Yarabajije ati “ese iyo winjiye mu cyumba cy’umuntu nijoro cyangwa mu gitondo atarafungura amadirishya, ntiwumva hari umwuka mubi?” Yavuze ko icyumba cy’umurwayi kigomba kuba kirimo umwuka nk’uwo hanze, ariko nanone udatuma atitira. Yongeyeho ati “uretse umwuka mwiza, nanone abarwayi bakenera urumuri kuko niboneye ko bibagirira akamaro . . . Kandi si urumuri uru rusanzwe, ahubwo ni urumuri rw’izuba.” Nanone icyo gihe abantu benshi bemeraga ko  kwanika ibiryamirwa n’imyenda ku zuba, bituma umuntu agira ubuzima bwiza.

Kuva mu myaka ya 1800 siyansi yateye imbere cyane, ariko ubushakashatsi bwa vuba na bwo bwemeje ko ibyo ari ukuri. Urugero, ubushakashatsi bwakorewe mu Bushinwa mu wa 2011, bwagaragaje ko iyo abanyeshuri barara mu byumba bidafite umwuka uhagije kandi bakaba ari benshi “bikunze gutuma barwara indwara z’ubuhumekero.”

Ishami ry’Umuryango w’Abibumbye Ryita ku Buzima, rigaragaza ko umwuka usanzwe, hakubiyemo umwuka wo hanze winjira mu nzu, urinda abantu indwara. Mu wa 2009, uwo muryango wasohoye amabwiriza akangurira abantu gukoresha umwuka usanzwe, kugira ngo indwara bandurira kwa muganga zigabanuke. *

Ushobora kuvuga uti “ibyo ni byiza. Ariko se hari gihamya yo mu rwego rwa siyansi ibyemeza? None se umwuka n’izuba birinda indwara bite?”

Ubushakashatsi bwakorewe muri Minisiteri y’Ingabo y’u Bwongereza buduha igisubizo. Abahanga mu bya siyansi bagerageje kumenya igihe umwuka wanduye ushobora kumara, baramutse baturikirije i Londres igisasu cy’ubumara kirimo mikorobe zangiza. Kugira ngo barebe igihe izo mikorobe zishobora kumara mu kirere, bazishyize hanze mu budodo bw’inzu y’igitagangurirwa. Ubwo bushakashatsi babukoze nijoro, kuko bari bazi ko izo mikorobe zicwa n’izuba. Bageze ku ki?

Nyuma y’amasaha abiri, mikorobe hafi ya zose zari zapfuye. Ariko igihe bazisubizaga hahandi, zikahamara ayo masaha abiri batagize icyo bahindura ku bushyuhe n’ubukonje bwaho, basanze hafi ya zose zikiriho. Kubera iki? Uko bigaragara, ni uko umwuka wo hanze wica mikorobe. Ariko uko uwo umwuka wo hanze wica mikorobe ntibyasobanuwe neza. Icyakora abo bashakashatsi berekanye ko umwuka wo mu kirere “wica mikorobe n’imyanda yo mu kirere bitera indwara.”

Urumuri rw’izuba na rwo rwica mikorobe. Hari ikinyamakuru cyavuze ko “mikorobe nyinshi zitera indwara zitihanganira izuba.”—The Journal of Hospital Infection.

Wakora iki kugira ako kazuba n’ako kayaga bikugereho? Ushobora kujya hanze ukamara igihe kiringaniye ku zuba kandi ugahumeka umwuka mwiza. Ibyo bizakugirira akamaro rwose.