Christina Desforges (circa 1990-November 2005, aged 15 years), resident of Saguenay, Quebec, Canada, died in November 2005 of what was initially reported to be extreme anaphylactic shock due to peanut allergy. Initial reports claimed that she died after kissing her boyfriend, who had eaten toast with peanut butter nine hours earlier without knowing about her allergy.[1] Because of the initial reports, the Canadian Association of Food Allergies[citation needed] planned to use her death to promote food allergy awareness. However, when further information came to light, the campaign was dropped.
According to the coroner's statement in March 2006, Ms. Desforges did not die of anaphylactic shock caused by a kiss from her boyfriend after he ate a peanut butter snack.[2] The coroner, Michel Miron, announced in May 2006 that the cause of death was an asthma-linked respiratory failure after she attended a party where tobacco and marijuana were being smoked. Cerebral anoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain) is the official cause of death.
The coroner said the girl "had spent hours at a party with smokers when her breathing problems began."[3] Any kind of smoke can trigger an asthma attack in a susceptible person, and Desforges had strong enough traces of the active ingredient of marijuana, THC, in her blood to assume that she had been smoking it herself.[4][5][6]
Allergen research
Research on the persistence of peanut butter in saliva indicates that it may be possible to trigger peanut allergies through kissing.[7] However, peanut allergens are commonly not detectable after one hour or after eating a peanut-free meal.
References
- ^ BBC NEWS | Americas | Peanut butter 'did not kill girl'
- ^ 'Peanut kiss' not cause of teen's death: coroner
- ^ Peanut-kiss not the culprit in Canadian teen's death
- ^ [1]
- ^ Quebec teen died of asthma, not nutty kiss
- ^ Calgary Allergy Network
- ^ Maloney JM, Chapman MD, Sicherer SH (September 2006). "Peanut allergen exposure through saliva: assessment and interventions to reduce exposure". J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 118 (3): 719–24. doi:. PMID 16950293.
External links
Early reports: These news stories contain "breaking news" speculation and were later shown to be inaccurate.
- Avoiding A Kiss Of Death (CBS News)
- Kiss steals the life of a girl with an allergy (EarthTimes)
- Kiss of death for nut allergy girl (The Telegraph)
Later reports: Later reports contain detailed information from the coroner's report.
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