Their name evokes the imagination of past centuries.
Scabies, scurvy, rickets, tuberculosis... All these diseases that we thought were forgotten have not disappeared.
Some have resurfaced in recent months with more or less strong outbreaks in France and neighboring countries.
Cases of syphilis, this sexually transmitted infection that was particularly deadly in the 19th century, have jumped by 34% in Europe, according to data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
But the example of the United Kingdom undoubtedly remains the most striking: the country is seeing on its soil an upsurge in cases of scurvy, scabies and even rickets, diseases linked to insecurity, isolation or poor nutrition. .
In terms of figures, nearly 11,000 Britons (including 312 children) were admitted to hospital for malnutrition from January 2022 to April 2023, according to the Times, four times more than fifteen years ago.
Among the batch, 482 patients were hospitalized for rickets, a disease linked to lack of sunlight and vitamin D deficiency, and 171 others were treated for scurvy.
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