Haunted by the mystery deaths in Nicaragua ’s brutal sugarcane fields

Kidney disease has killed 20,000 agricultural workers, but no one knows whyTwo brothers stand in a dusty alley in the town of Chichigalpa in Nicaragua. They stare with suspicion atAustralian photographer Josh Mcdonald, who has just captured their image – a picture that won aWellcome Image awardlast week for its depiction of the impact of a medical condition that has been devastating the male population of central America.The illness is described as “chronic kidney disease of undetermined cause ” and it is responsible for 75% of deaths of young and middle-aged men in Nicaragua. Workers in the sugarcane industry are worst affected, and the disease has been destroying families and communities for 20 years. Yet the cause remains unknown.Continue reading...

Source: Guardian Unlimited Science - March 19, 2017 Category: Science Authors: Robin McKie Observer science editor Tags: Nicaragua Medical research Science Photography World news Source Type: news