Wednesday » November 30 » 2005 Peanut allergy the kiss of death for teenage girl Charlie Fidelman CanWest News Service Saturday, November 26, 2005MONTREAL -- A Chicoutimi, Que., high school is in mourning after a 15-year-old girl with a food allergy died suddenly after kissing her boyfriend who had eaten peanut butter.Christina Desforges died earlier this week, after receiving the kiss during the weekend. A shot of adrenaline failed to revive her. She died in hospital Wednesday."It\'s a very sad event. (Classmates) are feeling emotional and we had them meet with a psychologist," said school board official Michel Cloutier.Health Canada estimates some 600,000 Canadians have potentially deadly allergies -- many of them triggered by certain foods. Approximately one to two per cent of Canadians -- perhaps eight per cent of children -- are allergic to peanuts and/or tree nuts.Nuts, milk, eggs and shell fish top the list, but peanut is the main cause of fatal allergy reactions said Ernest Seidman, immunology and food allergies researcher at Ste. Justine Hospital in Montreal.When someone comes in contact with an allergen, the symptoms of a reaction may develop quickly and rapidly progress from mild to severe, according to Health Canada. The most dangerous symptoms include breathing difficulties, a drop in blood pressure or shock, which may result in loss of consciousness and even death. Severe allergic reactions can occur quickly and without warning.Even trace amounts can be fatal, which is why food labelling is so crucial and why most schools have banned peanuts, Seidman said. People with a nut allergy can have an immediate anaphylactic reaction if they kiss someone who has recently eaten the offending substance, he added.Antibodies to the allergen provoke facial swelling, respiratory distress, bronchial spasms, a drop in blood pressure and hives.© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2005
