Cost of living crisis is bringing back this Renaissance-era disease

Scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, may be reemerging amid the cost of living crisis and the rise of weight loss surgery, doctors warn in a new study.

Scurvy is an easily treatable disease of the past first discovered in sailors during the Renaissance era.

Today it may be mistaken for other conditions like inflamed blood vessels and, if left untreated, may lead to potentially fatal bleeding, doctors say.

The new study, published on Tuesday, describes scurvy affecting a man living in Western Australia.

The man, in his early 50s, was anaemic, his legs were covered in painful red and brown pinpoints resembling a rash, and there was blood in his urine. He tested negative for inflammatory, autoimmune and blood disorders. Scans also didn’t reveal any evidence of internal bleeding and a skin biopsy returned no diagnostic clues.

But his rash continued to spread while he was in hospital.

Further questioning by doctors revealed that he was short of cash and neglected his diet.

He reportedly ate little fruit and vegetables and he sometimes skipped meals altogether.

The man also said he had stopped taking nutritional supplements prescribed after a previous weight loss surgery as he reportedly “couldn’t afford them anymore”.

Subsequent blood tests focussed on his nutritional status found that the man had “no detectable levels of vitamin C” and “very low levels” of other key nutrients.

The doctors then proceeded to treat the man for scurvy with daily vitamin C, vitamin D3, folic acid, and multivitamin supplements.

His painful rash and other symptoms soon cleared up, the study notes.

While scurvy’s prevalence is unclear, doctors say the Australian man’s may not be the only reported case of the condition. Scurvy is still seen as a disease of the past, mainly in developed countries, but the rising cost of living is making it harder for families to afford good quality nutritious foods, they say.

There have also been numerous reports of scurvy arising from complications following weight loss surgery. “Scurvy is a reemerging disease with the rising cost of living. It can present as early as a month after a vitamin C-deficient diet,” they say.

Its rise is also being facilitated by factors like alcoholism, smoking, eating disorders, obesity, kidney dialysis, steroids and drugs that curb stomach acid production, researchers say.

“Our patient had multiple risk factors, namely, poor dietary habits, obesity, previous bariatric surgery, use of proton pump inhibitors and low-income status,” doctors say in the study.

The disease is easily reversible, however, with supplementation and a dramatic response can be seen within 24 hours. But “failure to treat may lead to catastrophic haemorrhage, hence, early recognition and prompt treatment are vital”.