Understanding Chronic Kidney Diseases of Uncertain Etiology in Agricultural Communities

May 2024 Council

Lead Division/Office

KUH

Point(s) of Contact

Deepak Nihalani, Ph.D.; Susan Mendley, M.D.; Afshin Parsa, M.D., M.P.H.

Executive Summary

Chronic Kidney Disease of Uncertain Etiology (CKDu) is recognized to cause end stage kidney failure in rural areas of many Low and Middle Income Countries, resulting in a large death toll among the relatively young working age population. Environmental factors and extreme heat exposure are suspected, but there is a lack of compelling evidence for any agent, while family and geographic clustering raise the possibility of an unrecognized genetic susceptibility. Since 2021 NIDDK and NIEHS have jointly funded a consortium to find causes and potential interventions for CKDu. The consortium is comprised of a Scientific Data Coordinating Center, Field Epidemiology Sites, a Renal Science Core. It benefits from the active collaboration of Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource laboratories (funded by NIEHS).