Peanut allergy, kiss are fatal mix

MONTREAL — A 15-year-old girl with a peanut allergy died after kissing her boyfriend, who had just eaten a peanut-butter snack, hospital officials said Monday.

Christina Desforges died in a Quebec hospital Wednesday after doctors were unable to treat her allergic reaction to the kiss the previous weekend.

Desforges, who lived in Saguenay, about 155 miles north of Quebec City, was almost immediately given a shot of adrenaline, a standard tool for treating the anaphylactic shock brought on by a peanut allergy, officials said.

An autopsy was being performed. Dr. Nina Verreault, an allergist at the Chicoutimi Hospital in Saguenay, declined to comment on the case.

The symptoms of peanut allergy can include hives, plunging blood pressure and swelling of the face and throat, which can block breathing.

Peanut allergies have been rising in recent decades. The reason remains unclear, but one study found that baby creams or lotions with peanut oil may cause children to develop allergies later in life.

About 1.5 million Americans are severely allergic to even the smallest trace of peanuts, and peanut allergies account for 50 to 100 deaths in the United States each year.

Rhoda Kagan, peanut allergist at Montreal Children's Hospital, said Desforges' case is "very rare and worrisome."

Reactions will depend on personal medical history and on how much peanut substance was ingested.

While giving a shot of adrenaline is recommended immediately after such an attack, hospitalization is usually required to monitor progress as 20 to 30 percent of patients can have a recurring attack, Kagan said.