Rare diseases are making a comeback in the United Kingdom. The Victorian diseases, scarlet fever, tuberculosis, measles and whooping cough disease have made it back to the future that thought them defeated. The National Health Service of England has declared that there has been a steady rise in the incidence of these diseases in the last five years, backed up by a new study out of London, England.
England Goes Back to Victorian Times
Public Health England has reported a rise in scarlet fever cases over the last two years. They don’t expect the numbers to go down during the upcoming season. Scarlet fever, also known as scarlatina, is a bacterial infection that affects children at or below the age of 10. Symptoms include pink rashes, skin infection and a sore throat.
Tuberculosis Makes a Grand Entrance
Tuberculosis has always been a huge world problem. It affects 113 in every 100,000 people. The rate has gone down significantly in developed countries, but countries that are underdeveloped or developing have much higher numbers. There’s been a 300% rise in cases of cholera, and a 38% rise in the incidence of scurvy, a disease caused by a significant deficiency in vitamin C.
Disease Rarely Comes Out of Nowhere
London health experts have inferred on the rise of these Victorian diseases. Migration is the top cause that may have caused this rise and spread. This is because people are the biggest transportation vessel for these sicknesses. Malnutrition is the second highest cited cause, as malnourished people have weaker immune systems. This makes them more prone to catch these diseases and more vulnerable to viruses and bacterial infections. Another possible cause is improper or lack of health care. The UK alone is cutting as much as $300 million from the National Health Service’s budget. This will come as a huge blow to programs that look to protect children and the elder from these infectious diseases.
Will England Reduce the Number of People Let into the Country?
With migration being the number one suggested cause for the peak in cases of these diseases, it is possible England will be more choosy about the people that come into UK soil. This comes at an inconvenient time, with Syrian refugees looking for asylum all over the world. It’s yet to be seen how they will handle these findings.
