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A Mysterious Disease Is Striking Texas Farm Workers
AOL.com • • health
Key Points:
- Chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu) is increasingly affecting agricultural workers in Texas, particularly undocumented individuals who often avoid medical care due to their immigration status.
- CKDu is linked to intense heat exposure and primarily impacts young to middle-aged men engaged in manual labor in hot, low-resource regions, without traditional kidney disease risk factors like diabetes or hypertension.
- The disease first emerged in the 1990s in Central America, known as Mesoamerican nephropathy, and experts warn it may worsen with climate change and ongoing heat-related illnesses.
- Limited healthcare access and recent policy changes in Texas, such as the removal of mandated water breaks, exacerbate the vulnerability of affected workers and hinder disease screening and treatment.
- Researchers and public health officials emphasize that CKDu is a neglected disease disproportionately affecting impoverished and marginalized communities, highlighting the need for increased awareness and intervention.
