Following the deaths of five people suffering from Charcot disease in the village of Saint-Vaast-en-Chaussée (Somme) between 2007 and 2022, the regional health authority Hauts-de-France (ARS) contacted Public Health France, the two organizations announced on Monday, January 22nd. “Five cases of residents who lived on the same street or on a cross street between 2007 and 2022 and were infected with the disease.” were confirmed, the ARS told Agence France-Presse (AFP) and stated that it was not aware of anything “Other cases reported in the community”.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), another name for Charcot disease, results in progressive muscle paralysis, leaving the patient in a state of constriction and usually leading to death within three years. To date, there is no effective neuroprotective treatment.

“Common” clusters

The ARS therefore contacted the national health authority “Determine whether there is actually a statistical excess of disease in the observed population.”. In this stadium, “Investigations are ongoing” and have “The aim is initially to carefully document the cases”stage “essential” Investigating the cluster, Public Health France told AFP.

For Pierre-François Pradat, neurologist at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital (APHP) and co-president of the Scientific Council of the Association for Research on ALS (ARSLA), these are clusters “frequently” and linked “Chance”, he puts things into perspective. According to him, between 2007 and 2022 there were five cases, “This is not a gigantic increase in incidence given a disease that is still quite common”he adds, indicating that the disease is of genetic origin in 10% of patients.