Across Central America, hundreds of sugar cane workers succumb each year to a mystery kidney disease that leads them to an agonizing death. This is a well-done Associated Press video about the disease that focuses on sick workers in Chichigalpa, Nicaragua. If you drink rum, sip sugary sodas or have candy bars, then you should be concerned about the how sugar cane is harvested. I first learned of this illness from this Center for Public Integrity investigative report. Since it came out a year ago, PBS has also reported on the issue, followed most recently by this AP report. A report in Nephrology Times says mortality from kidney disease increased tenfold between 1984 and 2005 in El Salvador, a sign of how severe this public health epidemic is. The most prevalent hypothesis is that sweltering heat and chronic bouts of dehydration cause the disease, rather than exposure to pesticides. But while this is a strong theory, experts aren't willing to rule out other causes.