From scabies to rickets
From scabies to rickets – all the Victorian diseases you’ve forgotten about that are likely to surge this year
Plus, all the signs and symptoms you need to knowDICKENSIAN diseases are returning years after being eradicated, experts have warned.
Falling vaccination rates, the cost-of-living crisis, poor diets and malnutrition have all contributed to the resurgence of the nasty bugs.
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3NHS Digital data revealed that 'Victorian diseases' caused almost 50,000 hospitalisations between 2018-23.
And this year, some of these illnesses - many believed were consigned to a bygone era - are likely to rise.
1. Scabies
Scabies is a highly contagious condition caused by mites burrowing into the skin, leaving an intensely itchy rash lasting for months.
The disease has been affecting humans for centuries but was only identified as a parasite in 1687.
Scabies doesn't kill many people, but it is a nasty disease, and severe itching can have a major impact on sufferers' lives.
This month, medics are reporting a surge in scabies cases across the UK amid an acute shortage of treatments.
In the week of November 27, 27,484 cases were recorded by 500 GP practices in England and Wales monitoring the rash.
For comparison, just 56 cases were recorded during the same week in 2021, while 94 were logged that week in 2022.
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Experts fear the shortage of treatment options could severely impact Brits' quality of life, increasing the risk of nasty skin infections and mental health issues.
Prof Mabs Chowdhury, the president of the British Association of Dermatologists, warned cases were likely to increase further as people spent more time inside together over the winter months.
“In the meantime, the shortage of treatments puts enormous strain on people with scabies, some of whom have resorted to buying treatments online at inflated prices,” he added.
Symptoms of scabies include:
- Intense itching, especially at night
- A raised rash or spots
2. Whooping cough
Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection that affects the lungs.
Before the introduction of routine immunisation in the 1950s, the disease, also called the '100-day cough' used to affect tens of thousands of people a year.
This figure dropped significantly thanks to the jab, but the infection hasn’t completely disappeared.
In fact, cases of whooping cough are up this year.
Between July and the end of November 2023, there were 856 suspected cases of whooping cough in England and Wales, Government data on suspected cases suggests.
This is nearly 600 more than the equivalent timeframe in 2021 and 2022.
It's usual for spikes of the illness to happen every three or four years.
Experts believe this spike could be a hangover from pandemic restrictions and a fall in vaccination rates.
Prof Beate Kampmann, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine told The Sun: "The rise in cases might be because of missed vaccination appointments, possibly during the Covid pandemic."
Meanwhile, Professor Paul Hunter from the University of East Anglia said the current rates observed this winter are similar to confirmed cases in 2019.
He told the Sun: "What we are seeing here is a return to pre-pandemic levels."
However, this is not to say we should become "complacent", he said.
Prof Hunter added: "Back in the 1980s, we were seeing tens of thousands of notifications each year, but by the 2000s, notifications were only in the hundreds because people were getting vaccinated - this was until Covid arrived on the scene."
Symptoms of whooping cough are:
- Cold symptoms, such as a runny nose and sore throat
- Coughing bouts that last for a few minutes and are worse at night
- May make a "whoop" sound – a gasp for breath between coughs
- Difficulty breathing after a coughing bout and may turn blue or grey
- Can bring up a thick mucus, which can make you vomit
- May become very red in the face (more common in adults)
3. Scurvy
Scurvy, the scourge of pirates and sailors in the 18th century, happens if people do not eat enough vitamin C.
This is also why it was common during the Victorian era when fresh fruit and vegetables were scarce.
It can lead to skin issues and cause teeth to fall out.
In extreme cases, scurvy can lead to internal haemorrhaging, which can result in death.
New figures from the Liberal Democrats show survey cases in the UK are high, with 269 people diagnosed from 2019 to 2023.
GPs have suggested the cost-of-living crisis is to blame, as it has left many unable to afford fresh fruits and vegetables.
Symptoms of whooping cough are:
- Feeling very tired and weak. irritable and sad
- Suffering from severe joint pain,
- Swollen and bleeding gums
- Having skin that bruises easily
4. Rickets
Rickets is a deficiency disease caused by a lack of calcium or vitamin D.
Like scurvy, it was widespread in the Victorian slums of Great Britain.
It was especially prevalent in industrial cities where smog blocked out sunlight, and people suffered from malnutrition.
It wasn't until the early 1900s that researchers discovered how important sunlight and vitamin D are in the development of bones.
Vitamin D is also found in foods like oily fish and eggs.
But now, cases are rising again, with 28,379 Brits diagnosed with rickets between 2019 and 2023.
Symptoms of whooping cough are:
- Weaker bones which are more susceptible to deformities such as bowed legs or curvature of the spine
- Bone pain
- Dental issues
5. Measles
Measles is one of the world's most contagious diseases.
It used to arrive in epidemics every two or three years and devastate communities, killing thousands of people.
But that all changed when John Franklin Enders developed a vaccine that prevented the disease which was used widely from 1963.
At least 95 per cent of people need to be vaccinated against measles for herd immunity, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
But nowadays, this figure isn't being reached, resulting in outbreaks in the UK and beyond.
Between January 1 and September 30, there were 149 laboratory-confirmed measles cases in England - compared with 54 in the whole of 2022.
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has warned of a "devastating resurgence" of virtually eliminated life-threatening measles because of low vaccine uptake.
Dr Camilla Kingdon, president of the RCPCH, said: "Many paediatricians I know live in fear of potential measles outbreaks this winter."
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Symptoms of measles are:
- A high temperature
- A runny or blocked nose
- Sneezing
- A cough
- Red, sore, watery eyes