Scurvy, a disease common between the 16th and 18th centuries which results from vitamin C deficiency, is re-emerging, according to doctors in Australia.
Medics have written in the journal BMJ Case Reports that the cost of living crisis, obesity and ultra-processed foods may be to blame for people not getting enough vitamin C and developing the disease.
The report refers to a case, first reported in The Times, of a middle-aged man who presented at a hospital in Perth, Western Australia, with an unexplained, painful rash and bruising on his legs.
Blood tests and scans ruled out several other illnesses and infections, mystifying staff.
After several days in hospital, it emerged he mainly survived on processed foods and ate hardly any fruit and vegetables.
Doctors diagnosed him with scurvy, which can lead to fatal bleeding if untreated.
The report’s author, Dr Andrew Dermawan, said: “Scurvy is still seen as a disease of the past, especially in developed countries. However, sporadic cases of scurvy occur, especially in the elderly, patients with alcoholism and children with psychiatric or developmental problems.
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“Scurvy is a re-emerging disease with the rising cost of living. It can present as early as a month after a vitamin C-deficient diet,” he said.
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Symptoms of scurvy usually include red or blue spots on skin, especially on legs and feet, tiredness, joint and muscle pain, swollen or bleeding gums and skin that bruises easily.
Risk factors include smoking, obesity, alcoholism, a poor diet and having undergone weight loss surgeries.
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Scurvy is a rare disease nowadays, but killed more than two million British sailors between the 16th and 18th centuries.
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Mariners in the navy eventually became known as “Limeys” as they were given lemon and lime juice rations to prevent the disease.
