Rare ‘Sailor’s disease’ making a comeback among children
A rare Renaissance-era condition known as ‘Sailor’s disease’ is making a dangerous comeback in France.
Scurvy, a disease last prevalent in the 18th century, when it killed at least two million sailors, has been on the rise, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is caused by a severe deficiency in vitamin C, and in France, it has made a resurgence among young children from low-income families.
A total of 888 patients with scurvy were hospitalized in the last nine years, with an average age of 11 years, according to research published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe.
Doctors have warned that hospitalisations of children have risen by more than a third since the start of the pandemic.
‘There would seem to be a link with poverty,’ said Ulrich Meinzer, the study’s coordinator and a paediatrician at Robert-Debré Hospital in Paris.
He told French news outlet Le Nouvel Obs that nurses noted that some of the infected children had not eaten for several days.
The author said: ‘Our alarming results highlight a public health emergency. It is shocking and sad to see such a situation in a rich country like France, knowing that scurvy is associated with precariousness.’
What you need to know about scurvy
What is scurvy?
Scurvy occurs when people do not have enough vitamin C in their diet, which is needed to produce collagen in the body.
What are the symptoms?
According to the NHS, symptoms include feeling very tired and weak all the time; feeling irritable and sad all the time; joint, muscle or leg pain; swollen, bleeding gums (sometimes teeth can fall out); developing red or blue spots on the skin, usually on the legs and feet, although this may be less noticeable on brown or black skin; skin that bruises easily.
The recent jump in cases is tied to the 15% inflation rise of food in France in January 2023.
The report said its findings underscored a ‘critical need to intensify food and social assistance programmes’ to reduce severe malnutrition and food insecurity.
Cases of scurvy have also been reported in Western Australia and Canada in 2024.
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