Brits are being warned to protect themselves and spot the signs of Victorian diseases as cases surge across the UK. Experts say a cost of living crisis hitting the UK as the country emerges from years under a Covid pandemic could be causing a rise in cases of scurvy and rickets.
Data from NHS Digital showed that 'Victorian diseases' were responsible for almost 10,000 hospitalisations that year. And now, some of those illnesses - that many believed dwelled only in the history books - are surging.
Official cases of malnutrition have also surged as experts say people struggle to find the right number and balance of proper nutrients to stay healthy. It comes amid warnings of the need to help look after the poor and needy to stop the spread of conditions believed to be consigned to the history books.
Dr Clare Gerada, president of the Royal College of GPs, told The Times: "We’re going back to a situation where unless we look after our poor, we’re going to end up with more of these diseases of the Victorian era."
Scurvy
Scurvy is a disease that’s caused by a deficiency in vitamin C, which is rare in the developed world - most commonly known for being the disease of pirates and sailors. While out at sea for long periods of time, seamen and pirates would run out of citrus fruits and develop the condition.
The disease is treatable with some simple good ingredients such as fresh fruit and veg - however it can become deadly if left for too long. According to the NHS, symptoms of the condition include feeling very tired, weak, irritable, sad, suffering from severe joint page, swollen and bleeding gums, and having skin that bruises easily.
Rickets
Rickets is a condition that affects bone development in children. It causes bone pain, poor growth and soft, weak bones that can lead to bone deformities. Adults can experience a similar condition, which is known as osteomalacia or soft bones.
A lack of vitamin D or calcium is the most common cause of rickets. Vitamin D largely comes from exposing the skin to sunlight, but it's also found in some foods, such as oily fish and eggs. Vitamin D is essential for the formation of strong and healthy bones in children.
In rare cases, children can be born with a genetic form of rickets. It can also develop if another condition affects how vitamins and minerals are absorbed by the body.
Diphtheria
Extremely contagious, the bacterial infection diphtheria was highly prevalent in Victorian times. It can be a frightening illness which can cause heart problems, difficulty breathing, and sometimes even death.
Scientists believe UK outbreaks of the infection are 'most likely' to have been brought into the country from Afghanistan. Thankfully, diphtheria is still relatively rare in the UK, with babies and children being routinely vaccinated against the bug for more than 80 years.
With that said, anyone not inoculated is highly susceptible to the illness, which can cause awful ulcers on the skin if antibiotics aren't used quickly enough.
A recent report from the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases highlighted how 73 cases of the disease were recorded in England last year overall - which is up from the dozen cases the previous year.
Signs and symptoms:
Once infected, it can take two to five days for symptoms to make themselves known.
Key signs, according to the NHS, include:
Difficulty breathing and swallowing
- A thick grey-white coating that may cover the back of your throat, nose and tongue
- Sore throat
A high temperature (fever)
- Swollen glands in your neck
- Pus-filled blisters on your legs, feet and hands
- Big ulcers surrounded by red, sore-looking skin
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis - often known by the abbreviation TB - is a bacterial infection which is spread through inhaling tiny droplets from the coughs or sneezes of an infected person.
Health officials have warned the number of tuberculosis deaths are on the rise across Europe - after declining for almost 20 years. Experts think the surge is down to disrupted treatment and diagnostic services during the Covid pandemic.
The World Health Organization's ( WHO) European Region - which is made up of 53 countries - saw 27,300 people die from tuberculosis in 2021, compared with 27,000 deaths in 2020. This was the first time in two decades the downward trend was broken. The two most affected countries were Russia and Ukraine, with around 4,900 and 3,600 deaths respectively.
Signs and symptoms:
TB is potentially a very serious condition, but thankfully it can be cured with the right antibiotics. The NHS says symptoms include:
Extreme tiredness or fatigue
- Breathlessness that gradually gets worse
- Lack of appetite and weight loss
A persistent cough that lasts more than three weeks and often brings up phlegm, which may be bloody
- Night sweats
A high temperature
