Humanoid species native to the Delta Quadrant. Once known as a society of educators, artists, and explorers, the Vidiians were stricken two millennia ago by a terrible disease known as the phage, which destroyed the organs of their bodies. The Vidiians survived only through the widespread use of organ transplantation to replace diseased body parts. Although Vidiians relied largely on transplants from dead bodies, their needs were so great that they captured individuals of other species to serve as involuntary organ donors. The Vidiian Sodality developed sophisticated medical technology to make extensive interspecies transplants possible. Because of the debilitating nature of the phage, the Vidiians often used healthy captives as slaves to perform hard labor, prior to killing them for organ harvesting. In 2372, Vidiian physician Danara Pel provided medical assistance to Voyager officers Janeway and Chakotay, saving their lives from an unknown viral disease. Unfortunately, other Vidiians took advantage of Pel's humanitarian mission to launch an attack on the Voyager.