Canada - Scurvy cases 2023-2024

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Scurvy cases up slightly due to inflation?

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Monday, 31 July 2023 18:17

UPDATE Monday, 31 July 2023 18:17

Health professionals would increasingly see a disease that had almost disappeared; scurvy.

This disease had practically disappeared, but the health professionals affirm that it is because of the food inflation that this disease dating from the Middle Ages resurfaces.

“People are eating fewer vegetables and fruits, probably because costs have increased,” says pharmacist Réjean Lemay.

Normally, by eating fruits and vegetables on a daily basis, one gets enough vitamin C to avoid developing the disease.

“A person told me that at his mother's RPA, there was a vegetable, two green beans and a tablespoon of mashed turnip. I don't think she's getting her usual dose of vitamin C,” says family doctor Christiane Laberge.

However, with the price of food continuing to rise, many health professionals believe that the reappearance of the disease in children and the elderly could be linked to inflation.

“Children and seniors will have muscle and joint pain,” explains Réjean Lemay, pharmacist. “The children will have difficulty walking, will be less agile and he will have extreme fatigue.”

Listen to Alexandre Moranville's interview with Réjean Lemay, pharmacist via QUB radio :

Health specialists saw this vitamin C deficiency once every three years; this year, they have faced two to three clinical cases.

https://www.journaldequebec.com/2023/07/31/les-cas-de-scorbut-en-legere-hausse

 

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Canada - 27 cases of scurvy diagnosed in northern Saskatchewan community

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27 cases of scurvy diagnosed in northern Saskatchewan community

Radio-Canada
Posted yesterday at 10:28 AM CST

Researchers have discovered 27 cases of scurvy in the community of La Ronge, Saskatchewan. The finding raises concerns about rising food prices and access to fresh produce at a time when many consumers have less purchasing power.

The prevalence of scurvy in La Ronge was called into question after tests confirmed that a resident of the community had contracted the disease.

The Lac La Ronge Indian Band worked with Dr. Jeff Irvine and the Northern Inter-Tribal Health Authority to launch an investigation. They tested 51 blood samples that were taken between 2023 and 2024.

The researchers found 27 cases where vitamin C was very low or undetectable. The affected patients ranged in age from 20 to 80, and 79 percent of them were indigenous.

A person can get scurvy when they don't eat enough foods that contain vitamin C, such as fruits and vegetables. The main symptoms associated with this disease are fatigue and joint pain. In severe cases, scurvy can also cause bleeding gums and wounds that take a long time to heal.

Scurvy can be treated by consuming dietary supplements or foods rich in vitamin C.

Dr. Jeff Irvine says many northerners fight the disease by consuming rosehip and Labrador tea, as well as animal organs.

People want more traditional foods and they want access to healthy foods , he says. But studies show that people can't afford to eat a balanced diet.

Dr. Rachel Engler-Stringer, a professor of community health and epidemiology at the University of Saskatchewan, says these scurvy cases are indicators of larger problems, such as income inequality and the rising cost of living.

What we see in the research is that when people are struggling to make ends meet, they avoid buying fruits and vegetables first because those foods are expensive and less filling , she says.

A 2022 report released by the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) found that those living in the province’s north pay more for quality food compared to their southern neighbours, when factoring in the national nutritious food basket price. This includes foods that are less processed, such as fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables, cheese, milk, rice, meat and legumes.

According to the provincial report, an average family of four living in northern Saskatchewan pays $358.79 for this food basket per week, while a family of the same number living in the south pays $279.89 for the same basket.

With information from Jeremy Warren

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2120471/laronge-maladie-scorbut-manque-aliment

 

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Scurvy cases detected in British Columbia

Anaïs Elboujdaïni
Posted yesterday at 2:49 PM CST
Updated yesterday at 5:34 p.m. CST

The British Columbia Ministry of Health confirmed to CBC that cases of scurvy have been diagnosed by doctors in the province this year. The disease has been primarily detected in people who are food insecure.

The Ministry did not specify the number of cases, referring by email to a total number of cases that was too low to be able to communicate it without risking compromising the privacy of individuals.

He explains, however, that the majority of them are linked to a too low consumption of vegetables and fruits. Scurvy is caused by a serious vitamin C deficiency.

Symptoms of scurvy usually appear within 8 to 12 weeks: fatigue, large bruises, and bleeding gums. If scurvy is left untreated, it can lead to internal bleeding and death.

In one case diagnosed in British Columbia, a person with limited mobility and financial issues was living mainly on bread, canned fish and water, with no vegetables or fruit , a spokesperson for the Ministry of Health said.

The Ministry also points out that vitamin C deficiency is probably not the only nutrient [or vitamin] deficiency these people have.

The revelation of the scurvy cases comes as a report released Thursday predicts another increase in the cost of groceries for Canadians next year.

It also confirms the alarm call from doctors who published a study last October , warning Canadian doctors against the return of this disease and calling on them to be vigilant.

An “emergency”

Brian Conway, medical director of Santé Ouest, the only French-speaking medical centre in British Columbia, says the situation is discouraging and urgent .

The first time I heard the term "scurvy" was at school in Montreal when we were told about people arriving in New France who didn't know where to get vitamin C. It shouldn't exist in Canada right now.
A quote from Brian Conway, Medical Director of Santé Ouest

Last month, 27 people in Saskatchewan were diagnosed with scurvy, 79 per cent of them Aboriginal.

Dr. Conway wants to see regular, continuous and reliable availability of fruits and vegetables for vulnerable and low-income populations to prevent the problem experienced in northern Saskatchewan from spreading to the same scale in British Columbia .

He says providing adequate food to the population is a matter of social equity.

This is a sign that vulnerability has been allowed to progress , laments Dr Conway.

He announced that he would offer vitamin C to vulnerable patients at the Santé Ouest medical center starting Monday. He will also raise awareness among the facility's staff.

Statistics Canada's Canadian Income Survey revealed in May 2024 that 28.5% of people living in poverty in British Columbia suffered from food insecurity.

https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2125077/scorbut-colombie-britannique-insecurite-alimentaire