'Horrendous' return of Victorian-era diseases

A HOST of "forgotten" diseases that plagued Victorian Britain are making a shocking comeback, medics warn.

- Robert Kellaway

Cases of scurvy, rickets, scabies and measles are all on the rise due to poor diet, lifestyle changes and a low uptake of essential vaccines.

The cost-of-living crisis has also resulted in a rise in cases of malnutrition, with almost 11,000 people admitted to hospital undernourished, according to NHS figures.

There were 10,986 people diagnosed with malnutrition in 2022-23, including 312 children, up more than fourfold in the past 15 years.

The increase is believed to be a contributory factor in the resurgence of scurvy and rickets, which are caused by vitamin deficiencies.

Sir Michael Marmot, director of the Institute of Health Equity at University College London, has slammed the rise in cases of scurvy, which famously famously afflicted afflicted sailors deprived of fresh fruit and vegetables in centuries past.

Vulnerable

He said: "The idea we are starting to suffer the same diseases that in Victorian times people on long ocean voyages suffered because of the shortage of citrus fruits is simply horrendous."