Malnourished man. View of a malnourished man being given high-energy porridge. He,and the other patients,are suffering from visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar),caused by Leishmania sp. ,a parasitic protozoan. The porridge boosts the patients' immune systems,increasing their chances of survival. Leishmaniasis is a tropical disease transmitted by bites from infected sand- flies. This is the more serious form which causes fever,enlargement of the spleen,liver damage,and,without treatment,sometimes even death. Photographed in Sudan |