Possible Clues:

• Illness old police chief contracted on two occasions
• Complaint -- fruit's repeating, we hear
• Sickness of one supporting kid in ale
• Disease in part of Greater Manchester repeatedly, we hear
• A disease so debilitating they named it twice?
• Tropical disease caused by lack of vitamin B1
• Put in ground fruit that's picked up disease
• Disease from lack of vitamin B1
• It's caused by a deficiency of thiamine
• That's what you get eating a couple of fruits by the sound of it; it's not enough