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Pieges Moustiques
16/11/2021 —
News

Could mosquito traps provide an additional tool for controlling vector-borne diseases?

Mosquito traps are increasingly used in public spaces as a means to prevent mosquito bites and to control mosquito-borne diseases. However, the studies currently available are not sufficient to demonstrate the short-term effectiveness of these traps in preventing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. ANSES is therefore encouraging their use primarily as a preventive measure (in the medium and long term) to reduce high mosquito density as part of an integrated control strategy. ANSES also points out that the marketing and use of these traps must comply with regulations. In recent decades, a number of mosquito-borne diseases – such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika – have spread outside tropical regions. The use of mosquito traps as a complement or alternative to other techniques for controlling the spread of viruses, is a relatively recent idea. In France, the operators responsible for limiting the spread of mosquitoes are appointed by the Regional Health Agencies (ARSs). Some 15 operators currently exist, but they do not all use mosquito traps in the same way. ANSES conducted a literature review to assess the effectiveness of the mosquito traps used by operators as part of vector control. Several ways to attract female mosquitoes Two main types of trap are used to catch female mosquitoes, which are the only ones able to bite and to transmit pathogens. The first type of trap simulates an egg-laying site. A water-filled container uses a variety of means, including insecticide and glue strips, to trap the females when they come to lay their eggs. The second type of trap attracts mosquitoes by simulating the breathing of a living being through the diffusion of carbon dioxide (CO2) and/or the use of visual or olfactory attractants (for example, lactic acid to simulate human body odour). A control method to be used alongside other techniques “ We have a body of evidence showing that both types of trap can have a preventive effect in reducing the mosquito population in the medium and long term (over several weeks, months, or even years), providing that they are well maintained and used in sufficient numbers ,” says Johanna Fite, head of the "Vectors" unit at ANSES. “ However, they are not a magic solution. Traps are most effective when used in conjunction with other control methods , particularly the elimination of breeding sites. " No studies concerning the impact of traps on the spread of disease Some operators place traps when cases of vector-borne disease are identified. Traps are set up for a period of three to six weeks around the homes of infected people. The expert appraisal conducted by ANSES identified no data shedding light on the effectiveness of traps in quickly containing the spreading of disease when the viruses are already in circulation. The Agency therefore recommends that research be carried out in order to collect data on this question and to determine the best conditions for the deployment of these traps, based on different epidemiological scenarios, including an isolated case, an outbreak and an epidemic. Pending these additional data, mosquito traps should be used only as a preventive measure, or in cases where it is not possible to use an insecticide, for example when the area to be treated is inaccessible or close to a waterway. A reminder needed of the regulations CO2, lactic acid and other substances used to attract female mosquitoes are biocidal substances. Traps using these substances must therefore comply with the regulations on biocides . They also require marketing authorisation (MA). To date, no applications for marketing authorisation have been filed in France for mosquito traps using CO2. Under the terms of a transitional regime, the marketing of traps using CO2 produced through combustion is authorised until July 2022. After this date, it will no longer be possible to sell traps without a marketing authorisation in France. Applications for marketing authorisation must include documentary proof of the effectiveness and safety of these traps. Finally, devices will not be able to make claims such as "zero nuisance" or "mosquito-free home" without proof.
PNREST
15/11/2021 —
News

National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health: Calls for projects issued for 2022

ANSES is issuing new calls for projects as part of the National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health (PNR EST). They support research to develop scientific knowledge that is essential for health-related risk assessments and expert appraisals. The 2022 edition of this programme will include two calls for projects: a general one on the themes of environmental and occupational health, and a second specific one on "Radiofrequencies and Health". The deadline for project submission is 6 January 2022. Since 2006, ANSES has coordinated the National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health (PNR EST), which funds research on environmental risks to human health, including in the workplace, and risks to ecosystems. In total, around 30 projects are funded each year, for a duration of two or three years. These projects help further research and knowledge on key questions by considering the emergence of new risks associated with changes to our environment, different consumption or work patterns, the arrival of new infectious diseases or the development of new technologies. Calls for projects issued for 2022 The two 2022 PNR EST calls for projects are open from 15 November 2021 to 6 January 2022. The first call for projects, of a general nature, focuses on funding research on priority issues in environmental and occupational health . These questions reflect public policy orientations (environmental health, occupational health and cancer plans). The issues addressed include the effects of nanomaterials, chemical agents including plant protection products, with special emphasis on endocrine disruptors , light pollution and climate change; factors promoting cancer, and worker exposure to pathogens. As part of this general call, an additional budget is planned this year to fund projects relating to the effect of air quality on health . ANSES also expects proposals relating to the study of the exposome , i.e. all the types of exposure affecting the health of individuals during their lifetime. The second call for projects, devoted to the theme " Radiofrequencies and Health ", is designed to enhance knowledge on this subject and broaden the number of scientists studying it. This call for projects focuses on four themes: research on the mechanisms of action of radiofrequencies at cellular level, their possible physiological or health effects, electromagnetic hypersensitivity, and the characterisation of uses and exposures to radiofrequencies in real-life situations. Funding of the PNR EST The projects selected under the PNR EST are financed by ANSES from budgets delegated by the Ministries of the Environment, Agriculture and Labour, along with several other co-funding partners, including the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME), and the multi-agency thematic institute for cancer (ITMO Cancer) from the AVIESAN alliance through the ten-year strategy to combat cancer. Find out more about the National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health.
Ingestion Amiante
10/11/2021 —
News

Initial literature review on the possible hazards of asbestos ingestion

Certain drinking water pipes are made of asbestos cement. Under some circumstances, therefore, asbestos fibres can be found in drinking water. ANSES has conducted an initial review of the scientific literature to characterise the hazards associated with asbestos ingestion. Before it was banned in France in 1997, when respiratory exposure was found to be hazardous to humans, asbestos was used in a variety of sectors, particularly in construction. In fact, 4% of the French public drinking water supply network still consists of asbestos cement. " The risk of asbestos fibres being released into the water supply remains low when the pipes have been installed in stable non-aggressive soil, and when the water carried by these pipes contains calcium, because the build-up of scale protects the pipe . However, risks from the presence of asbestos in drinking water cannot be ruled out in the case of badly deteriorated pipes ," say scientists from ANSES's Water Risk Assessment Unit. As people are mainly exposed to asbestos by air, studies on the health risks of asbestos have, until now, mainly focused on this source of exposure. The last baseline analysis conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in 2012 on the links between asbestos and the occurrence of cancer did not explicitly address the hazards associated with ingestion. The expert appraisal was prompted by two alarmist studies, which nevertheless had limitations Two studies by an Italian research team, published in 2016 and 2017, had concluded that the health risks associated with asbestos ingestion, mainly through the daily consumption of drinking water, may be underestimated. In its scientific and technical analysis note published in 2017, ANSES observed that these two studies were not sufficiently robust: they had not assessed the quality of the publications on which they had based their conclusions and had not taken into account all the scientific publications available on the subject. The Agency was therefore asked to characterise the hazards of asbestos by ingestion, by conducting a systematic review of the scientific literature . Not enough evidence to rule on a causal relationship In order to study the health hazards of asbestos ingestion, in particular concerning the development of digestive cancers (oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, liver, etc.), the Agency conducted a comprehensive review of current knowledge on this subject. Of the 4409 human and 1107 animal studies on the effects of asbestos, the experts identified 17 studies examining asbestos ingestion in the general population, 19 examining asbestos ingestion in animals and 41 examining occupational exposure to asbestos. The working group conducted a standardised assessment of these studies to determine the levels of evidence that could be used to characterise the plausibility of a link between asbestos exposure and the occurrence of digestive cancers. This assessment led the experts to conclude that the levels of evidence were "inadequate", i.e. the data published to date cannot be used to rule on the possibility or absence of an association between asbestos ingestion and digestive cancers. " Most of the existing studies are old or have methodological limitations that mean they are unable to demonstrate a causal link between asbestos ingestion and the occurrence of these cancers ," explain the experts of the working group. Signals for some cancers but no certainty However, the existence of signals suggesting the possibility of an association between asbestos ingestion and three specific digestive cancers was highlighted. These are cancers of the oesophagus, stomach and colon. This possibility is supported by epidemiological studies conducted in occupational settings that report more cases of these cancers in workers exposed to asbestos than in the general population. This is because a fraction of the asbestos inhaled by workers can be swallowed and pass directly into the digestive tract. However, the data do not enable a reliable estimate of the extent of this fraction compared with that reaching these organs via the respiratory route, through the lungs and the bloodstream, and mean that these results cannot be extrapolated to exposure by ingestion. Surveillance campaigns recommended Given the past use of asbestos in certain pipes, the Agency recommends conducting targeted campaigns to detect the presence of possible asbestos fibres in drinking water liable to contain them. These data could then be used for future studies or epidemiological surveillance work. The Agency also recommends monitoring the condition of asbestos cement pipes to ensure that they are renovated or replaced in the event of damage.
04/11/2021 —
Portrait

"Why does bovine tuberculosis persist in some French regions but not others?” – Portrait of Ciriac Charles, PhD student

Every year, ANSES organises discussion meetings on ongoing and recently completed research work, in order to encourage interactions between scientific teams. At these meetings, the PhD students hosted at the Agency present their theses. Ciriac Charles received the award for best poster by an ANSES doctoral student in 2021. Discover his background and research work.
21/10/2021 —
Event

Tuesday, 30 November, 2021

ANSES & Inserm scientific conference

189 rue de Bercy - Paris 12e
Public : oui
Maison de la RATP
The exposome concept arose from the need to gain a better understanding of the health impact of the various exposures of an individual over a lifetime, taking into account environmental exposure to chemical, physical and biological agents on the one hand and socio-economic factors on the other. Today, one of the aims of research is to characterise the various facets of the exposome and its impact on the occurrence of human diseases, especially chronic diseases such as cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and endocrine disorders, and study potential interactions between the components of the exposome and between the exposome and biological parameters. The ultimate goal will be to estimate the overall health impact of the exposome and if possible, classify the roles of various risk factors. This need is currently recognised by scientists and society and is gradually being incorporated into public policies. Better understanding the exposome is one of the objectives of the fourth edition of the National Environmental Health Action Plan, and the concept has been written into the French Public Health Code. However, questions are still being raised regarding the tools to be promoted and the methodological approaches to be implemented to ensure that the exposome takes its rightful place in the various spheres of public health expertise and ultimately in the field of risk management. To review the current state of research on this topic, ANSES and Inserm are organising a scientific conference on “Exposome and public health: from research to expertise” on 30 November 2021 at Espace du Centenaire – Maison de la RATP, Paris 75012. On the programme : an overview of the exposome concept and how it is being used for purposes of research and environmental health risk assessments; a review of the research work undertaken by Inserm or financed by the National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health, along with a summary of the research projects implemented by large European consortia. The four sessions will address the following topics: characterisation and description of the exposome; the social exposome; single exposure to mixtures and interactions; exposome and disease burden. The day will conclude with a summary round-table discussion. Open to all, this event is aimed more particularly at the scientific community, associations, professionals and decision-makers interested in the exposome. For people who are interested, this event will be live-streamed so it can be attended remotely. Information to this end will be sent out shortly.
19/10/2021 —
News

Three questions for Ohri Yamada on the phytopharmacovigilance

The phytopharmacovigilance scheme that we coordinate, which is specific to France, focuses on the effects of plant protection products and their residues, observed under their actual conditions of use. Ohri Yamada, Head of the Phytopharmacovigilance Unit, gives us an overview of the scheme.
19/10/2021 —
News

Launch of PestiRiv : an original study on the exposure to pesticides of people living near vineyards

A large part of the rural population in France lives in wine-growing regions. Are these people particularly exposed to the plant protection products used and if so, how? Today, to answer these questions, Santé publique France and ANSES are launching PestiRiv, the first large-scale study aiming to better understand and shed light on exposure to pesticides in people living near vineyards. Measurements taken from 3,350 individuals in six French regions will enable the sources that most contribute to pesticide exposure to be objectively identified so that appropriate preventive measures can be taken.
15/10/2021 —
News

A memorandum of understanding in animal health and zoonoses

ANSES and the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut (FLI), the German Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop their scientific and technical partnership in the fields of animal health, welfare and zoonoses according to a "One Health" approach.
plastique
13/10/2021 —
News

Marco project: six years of marine research in Côte d’Opale

After six years, the Marco project (Marine and coastal research in Côte d’Opale: from environments to resources, uses and the quality of aquatic products) is coming to an end. In honour of this occasion, its five partner agencies are holding a conference from 13 to 15 October in Boulogne-sur-Mer. Below is an overview of the themes of this project, to which ANSES contributed with regard to the quality of seafood products, in particular by studying microplastics and their impact on them.

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