Issue 12 OF VIGIL'ANSES
Editorial
Once again, the coronavirus epidemic and its sometimes unexpected consequences are the subject of an article in this issue 12 of Vigil'Anses. The hand sanitisers provided for disinfection purposes in public places have led to young children being sprayed in the eyes. ANSES was alerted to this by ophthalmologists and French poison control centres; our article reviews the situation.
The second article presents the results of a 27-month study carried out by poison control centres and ANSES on accidental injection of humans with vaccines intended for animals. It details the circumstances, risk factors for complications and health consequences.
Lead poisoning is generally synonymous with unsanitary housing, due to the persistence of old lead-based paint or water pipes. However, there is another cause of lead exposure. Much less widely known to the public and healthcare professionals, the practice of sport or professional shooting nevertheless causes cases of lead poisoning in children and adults every year. An article in this issue discusses this topical subject, following several clustered cases identified by poison control centres.
The last article reports on a recent example of serious adverse effects following consumption of food supplements, which are often wrongly considered harmless. ANSES’s nutrivigilance scheme was notified of two cases of severe acute hepatitis associated with consumption of a food supplement used to maintain healthy hair and containing vitamins A and E. Analysis of the cases and the literature suggested toxicity of the food supplement due to the concomitant use of a progestin contraceptive.
Juliette Bloch, Editor-in-Chief of Vigil'Anses
Take care to prevent hand sanitiser from getting into young children's eyes !