Almost 700 folks in British Columbia have been reported to have a vitamin C deficiency up to now decade, in keeping with information obtained by CBC Information, prompting medical doctors to lift questions concerning the prevalence of scurvy — a life-threatening illness regarded as a factor of the previous — within the province.
CBC Information requested B.C.’s Ministry of Well being for information on the variety of confirmed instances of scurvy courting again 10 years, after the illness was detected earlier this 12 months in Toronto and in a northern Saskatchewan community.
The well being ministry mentioned it doesn’t gather information on scurvy as a result of it is not an infectious illness. As an alternative, it supplied CBC Information with the variety of recognized cases of ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, deficiency — the closest systematically reported information it says it has.
Scurvy can happen from having a extreme deficiency of vitamin C, although not everybody with low ranges of the vitamin develops the illness, the ministry famous.
Pure sources of vitamin C embody citrus fruits, reminiscent of oranges and lemons, and greens reminiscent of broccoli and spinach.
‘Simply the tip of the iceberg’
Scurvy is a illness that conjures photos of sickly sailors from a whole lot of years in the past, however the never-before reported information reveals it might nonetheless be prevalent in B.C.
Dr. Jeffrey Irvine, a doctor in Saskatchewan who handled a case of scurvy in that province, mentioned the medical group beforehand thought the illness and vitamin C deficiencies had gone away.
“These preventable issues should not be taking place in 2024 in Canada,” he mentioned in an interview with CBC Information.
“Canada has huge entry to wholesome, nutritious recent meals. We’ve an excellent health-care system. We should always suspect that everyone can get these very preventable ailments handled or no less than not even get them within the first place.”
Earlier this 12 months, Irvine suspected and confirmed considered one of his sufferers in La Ronge, a small city in northern Saskatchewan, had scurvy. He then partnered with the Lac La Ronge Indian Band and the Northern Inter-Tribal Well being Authority to check 51 blood samples of sufferers suspected of getting scurvy or a vitamin C defiency.
After bodily exams, researchers confirmed 27 scurvy diagnoses.
Symptoms of scurvy might be seen inside eight to 12 weeks of insufficient consumption of vitamin C, and may embody fatigue, massive patches of bruising, bleeding gums, and hemorrhages that make hair follicles seem vivid crimson.
Left untreated, it may well result in spontaneous inner bleeding, the destruction of crimson blood cells and, finally, loss of life.
156 deficiency instances in B.C. in 2021-22
In line with the info, 44 folks had low ranges of vitamin C in B.C. within the 2024-25 fiscal 12 months up till Nov. 30.
Whereas documented instances are trending down for the 2024-25 fiscal 12 months, the 10-year information reveals instances are trending excessive general. B.C. noticed triple-digit case numbers within the final three full fiscal years.
In line with the B.C. information, within the 2021-22 fiscal 12 months a document 156 folks have been reported to have vitamin C deficiencies.
The well being ministry mentioned the rise might be associated to larger consciousness of testing for vitamin C ranges.
It mentioned it would not have info on the entire variety of exams carried out throughout the identical interval.
B.C.’s well being ministry has not launched the particular areas the place scurvy has been detected however says it would not consider there are “vital variations within the variety of scurvy instances throughout areas.”
Requires extra testing
Primarily based on his expertise in Saskatchewan, Irvine mentioned he thinks there ought to be extra testing for scurvy in B.C.
He mentioned he needs to conduct a examine that might check a bigger inhabitants for scurvy in his province.
Nonetheless, Irvine famous that the blood check for vitamin C has issues. The blood pattern needs to be evaded gentle instantly and needs to be frozen fairly shortly with dry ice at –70 C.
Irvine mentioned some distant or smaller communities might not have the infrastructure for that.
“Nonetheless, recognizing a few of the limitations of the check, it is nonetheless so necessary to do the check,” he mentioned.
“Extra testing will permit us to know extra about how broad this drawback is. We’re fairly certain that that is simply the tip of the iceberg.”
Dr. Tim Senior, a common doctor and medical advisor for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Well being in Australia, the place scurvy has additionally been detected this 12 months, agrees.
He instructed CBC Information scurvy sufferers can usually produce other well being points too.
“From a health-care perspective, it is a flag to suppose, ‘what else is likely to be happening for this particular person? How else do we have to assist them as properly?'” Senior mentioned.
“So, it is a actually necessary concern in itself, but additionally as an emblem for what different issues that particular person might also be having.”
In October, a study revealed within the Canadian Medical Affiliation Journal mentioned a 65-year-old girl was recognized with scurvy at a Toronto hospital final 12 months.
The girl — who was described as socially remoted with little household assist and restricted mobility — had been dwelling virtually completely on canned soup, canned tuna, white bread and processed cheese, with no recent produce.
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