Sailors attend the new 'A Monster a day keeps the Scurvy away' briefing.
KINGS BAY, GA — A sailor on shore duty has contracted scurvy, military health officials said Sunday. It marks the Navy's first recorded case of the disease since the Civil War.
Last week, Electronics Technician 1st Class Kevin Jurgensen reported to King's Bay Branch Health Clinic complaining of lethargy, bleeding from his gums, and spots on his skin.
"We initially diagnosed [Jurgensen] with a sexually transmitted disease," said Captain Jack Gutierrez, the attending physician. "99 times out of a hundred, when a sailor has lesions, unexplained bleeding from mucous membranes, fever—well, you know."
