Dickensian diseases such as scabies, scurvy and syphilis are making a comeback in modern Britain.
The UK is currently affected by an outbreak of scabies, a highly infectious skin virus, and the British Association of Dermatologists has issued an alert over the “unusually high” rates.
The condition is caused by microscopic mites that burrow into the skin, cause intense itching, and spread easily if people are in close contact.
During the Victorian era, it was very common for asylums to have separate “itch” rooms where the infested could be segregated and treated before being allowed to mix with the general population.
Better living conditions, sanitation and medical treatment led to a dramatic decrease in cases.
However, last week it was revealed that some 3,689 cases were diagnosed in hospitals in England in the year to April, up from 2,128 the previous year, NHS figures show.
Data from GP surgeries also shows there has been an increase in recent weeks which students returning to university may like.
In fact, a whole range of diseases that were rife in Victorian times are spreading, blamed on malnutrition, falling vaccination rates and reduced public health funding.
Some 3,689 cases of scabies were diagnosed in hospitals in England in the year to April, up from 2,128 the previous year, according to NHS figures.
Statistics also revealed that 171 people were treated for scurvy and 482 for rickets, of which 405 were children.
A Freedom of Information request from the Times Health Commission shows that 10,896 NHS patients in England were hospitalized with malnutrition in the year to April 2023. There were only around 2,700 hospitalizations for malnutrition in 2007/8, rising to 5,500 in 2012/13.
Doctors warned in the BMJ that there is a resurgence of scurvy because people do not eat enough fruit and vegetables. The times reported.
In 2022, there will be more than 800,000 admissions in England and Wales for conditions related to poor nutrition, including scurvy and rickets.
Almost 11,000 people in England, including hundreds of children, were hospitalized for malnutrition in 2022.
Data from NHS England shows that admissions due to this serious condition have quadrupled in the last 15 years and have doubled in a decade.
Although there has been an increase over the past decade, doctors have claimed that “we are going to end up with more Victorian era diseases” due to the cost of living crisis.
Brits facing this situation have been forced to reduce their consumption of fruit and vegetables and eat cheaper junk food, which lacks vital vitamins and minerals.
A Times Health Commission Freedom of Information request last year revealed that 10,896 NHS patients in England were hospitalized with malnutrition in the year to April 2023.
Malnutrition occurs when a diet does not include the adequate amount of nutrients, the key signs being unintentional weight loss, low body weight and feelings of tiredness and weakness.
Statistics also revealed that 171 people were treated for scurvy and 482 for rickets, of which 405 were children.
Scurvy is caused by not consuming enough vitamin C, which is found in citrus, broccoli, and potatoes. Typical symptoms include feeling tired, weak and irritable, severe pain in the joints or legs, and swollen and bleeding gums.
Data obtained through freedom of information laws found that Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust recorded 5,864 cases of gout in 2023.
Ten babies have died from whooping cough in England this year and there have been more than 12,000 cases, compared to just 856 last year (government data chart).
The latest data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows there were 1,603 suspected cases of measles in England and Wales in 2023. The figure is more than double the 735 recorded in 2022 and an almost five-fold increase in comparison with the 360 reported cases. in 2021
In England, 89.3 per cent of two-year-olds received their first dose of the MMR vaccine in the year to March 2023 (blue line), up from 89.2 per cent the previous year. Meanwhile, 88.7 percent of two-year-olds received both doses, up from 89 percent the year before.
There have also been record cases of measles with 2,601 cases in England so far this year, which is the highest since records began in 1996. By comparison, 362 laboratory-confirmed cases were recorded in 2023.
By contrast, gout cases also increased by almost 1,000 per cent, according to NHS data.
Data obtained through freedom of information laws found that Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust recorded 5,864 cases of gout in 2023, the most cases recorded by any NHS trust and a 960 per cent increase on figures recorded in 2019.
This painful type of arthritis was historically known as “the disease of kings” because it affected middle-aged men and was believed to be triggered by excessive consumption of rich foods and alcohol, such as port.
Modern diets rich in ultra-processed foods have increased people’s risk of developing this disease, which is also linked to being overweight, as well as a side effect of certain medications, such as those designed to combat high blood pressure.
Childhood infectious diseases, such as measles and whooping cough, have also experienced their largest outbreaks in a generation this year.
Whooping cough first presents similar to a cold, such as a runny nose, red, watery eyes, and a sore throat with a severe cough that usually begins a week later.
While measles, which is also common in children, causes high fever, cough, runny nose and rash all over the body.
Ten babies died this year from whooping cough in England and there have been more than 12,000 cases compared to just 856 last year.
Cases of syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that was rife in the 18th and 19th centuries, are at their highest number since the 1940s.
There have also been record cases of measles with 2,601 cases in England so far this year, the highest number since records began in 1996.
In comparison, in 2023 there were 362 laboratory-confirmed cases.
This is linked to a drop in MMR vaccination rates, with less than 85 per cent of five-year-olds in England fully protected.
The Department of Health’s public health grant to local authorities for preventative health services has fallen 28 per cent in real terms since 2015, The Times reported.
Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty told MPs there has been a rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) due to a drop in resources funding public health.
Cases of syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease that was rife in the 18th and 19th centuries, are at their highest number since the 1940s.
The disease can cause life-threatening problems and complications in the heart, nerves and brain.
In 2023, 12,588 new syphilis diagnoses were made in sexual health services in England, government data shows.
Between 2013 and 2019, diagnoses of infectious syphilis increased by 140 percent, from 3,345 cases to 8,040. Following a temporary decline in diagnoses in 2020 and 2021, due to reduced testing during the Covid pandemic, 2023 diagnoses recovered to 9,513.
Gonorrhea cases are also at their highest level since records began in 1918, with 85,000 cases reported in England last year.