Issue 9 OF VIGIL'ANSES
Editorial
Every year, from January to August, many people – mainly children– are bothered by oak and pine processionary caterpillars: their particularly irritating hairs can cause skin, eye and respiratory reactions. An article in this issue reviews these eruptions through the data of poison control centres and provides some tips to help avoid them.
Another seasonal poisoning hazard involves the use of chlorinated products to maintain private swimming pools in summer. Misusing these products can lead to toxic vapours being released and potentially causing very severe respiratory manifestations. An update on cases reported to poison control centres is presented in this issue.
The article on crystalline silica shows that we must get over the cliché of miners’ silicosis to adopt a much broader view of the varied health effects attributable to silica and the types and levels of exposure encountered to date, since an estimated 23,000 to 30,000 workers are currently exposed in France to levels above the regulatory limit. ANSES's recent report on this topic and the National Network for Monitoring and Prevention of Occupational Diseases (RNV3P) are helping improve knowledge of this risk, for preventive purposes.
People administering medicinal products to animals can suffer adverse reactions through simple contact: this is true for altrenogest, a hormonal drug used in mares that can cause side effects in women in particular. The risks as well as the precautions to be taken to avoid them are described here.
The final article in this issue mentions an Opinion published by ANSES on the risks associated with food supplements containing liquorice, based on a case of hypokalaemia observed by ANSES's nutrivigilance scheme.
To conclude, we would like to sincerely thank our readers who took the time to complete our reader survey. Your opinions and suggestions will help us improve Vigil’Anses so that it better meets your expectations. The survey results are presented in an article in this issue.
Juliette Bloch, Editor-in-Chief of Vigil'Anses
Beware of stinging hairs from processionary caterpillars !