Malnutrition immune system affected

Host susceptibility, the ability of a human to ward off disease, is one of the most important factors in determining whether a microbe will successfully cause disease. The immunocompromised, those with HIV, organ transplants, or who are undergoing cancer treatment, are the most prone to disease. The overuse of antibiotics that decrease the bacterial flora can also affect the immune systems of immunocompetent hosts, in addition, malnutrition, which is associated with 50 % of child deaths... 

A negative nitrogen balance represents a state of protein deficiency, in which the body is breaking down tissues faster than they are being replaced. The ingestion of insufhcient amounts of protein, or food with poor protein quality, cau result in serious medical conditions in which an individual s overall health is compromised. The immune system is severely affected the amount of blood plasma decreases, leading to medical conditions such as anemia or edema aud the body becomes vulnerable to infectious diseases and other serious conditions. Protein malnutrition in infants is called kwashiorkor, and it poses a major health problem in developing countries, such as Africa, Central and South America, and certain parts of Asia. An infant with kwashiorkor suffers from poor muscle and tissue development, loss of appetite, mottled skin, patchy hair, diarrhea, edema, and, eventually, death (similar symptoms are preseut in adults with protein deficiency). Treatment or prevention of this condition lies in adequate consumption of protein-rich foods [106]. 

---