ANSES renews its cooperation on occupational health with NIOSH
ANSES and the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) in the United States signed a new memorandum of understanding in the field of occupational health, in this beginning of year, after an initial ten-year collaboration.
Only use chemicals as a last resort to eradicate bed bugs
Once a home is infested with bed bugs, it is difficult to get rid of them. Sometimes, faced with the tenacity of these parasites, people turn to insecticides. However, their use is not without risk: more than 1000 cases of poisoning due to these chemicals, some serious, were recorded between 2007 and 2021. To eradicate bed bugs, you should therefore initially favour non-chemical means.
Avian influenza: chickens cannot be vaccinated this winter
The conditions are not currently in place to effectively vaccinate chickens and turkeys against avian influenza. In order for this strategy to be feasible for the coming years, it will be necessary to increase production of the vaccines already available, develop vaccines for all poultry species, including ducks, and authorise these vaccines in France or in Europe.
National Research Programme for Environmental and Occupational Health: results of the 2022 calls for research proposals
Forty-two research projects have been selected by ANSES under the 2022 PNR EST call for proposals. They will receive a total of €7.5 million in funding. This research will provide new knowledge on environmental risks to human health, in the general population or at work, as well as on risks to ecosystems.
Modelling to predict the circulation of African swine fever in wild boar
African swine fever has not yet arrived in France but it is or has been circulating in several neighbouring countries. It is therefore important to know how this disease could spread if cases were detected in this country. Scientists from ANSES recently modelled its circulation in wild boar populations in two different parts of France. Their results highlight the importance of considering the topography of the landscape and of stopping hunting if the disease is detected.
ANSES has defined its strategic orientations for 2023 in its five main areas of activity: food, animal health & welfare, environmental health, plant health and occupational health.
First application of ANSES's methodology for assessing the risks of nanomaterials in food
Conventional methodologies are not always suitable for assessing the potential health risks to consumers of nanomaterials used in food. In 2021, ANSES therefore proposed a "nanospecific" risk assessment methodology, which it has just tested on the food additive E171, or titanium dioxide (TiO2), which is the most widely studied nanomaterial. Its use in food has been prohibited in Europe since August 2022. This practical application has shown both the method's validity and the extent of the lack of data for conducting an adequate risk assessment of nanomaterials in food.
Tracking the global spread of antimicrobial resistance
An international research team has provided valuable new information about what drives the global spread of genes responsible for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria. The collaborative study, led by researchers at the Quadram Institute and University of East Anglia, brought together experts from France, Canada, Germany and the UK and will provide new information to combat the global challenge of AMR.
Research to understand the effects of glyphosate on trout
Based on experiments conducted with several generations of fish, an ANSES team explored the effects of glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides on the health of rainbow trout. This research showed that whether used pure or in herbicides, glyphosate could have effects on multiple generations of this species.