Five people, living in the same street in Saint-Vaast-en-Chaussée (Somme), died from Charcot disease, a neurodegenerative pathology which affects around 8,000 patients in France.
- In a street in the village of Saint-Vaast-en-Chaussée, 5 people developed Charcot disease.
- The incidence of the disease being 2.7 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, this frequency has concerned the inhabitants. Health authorities are investigating these cases.
- Neurologist François Pradat, interviewed by BFM, recognizes that the situation is “unusual” but “statistically possible”.
Five people living in the same street developed Charcot disease while this serious degenerative pathology has an annual incidence of 2.7 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants. Chance or environmental factors? The inhabitants of Saint-Vaast-en-Chaussée, a village of 500 souls in the Somme, are wondering.
Charcot disease: 5 cases in the same street in 12 years
The first case of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the other name for Charcot disease, was diagnostic in October 2008 and is deceased in March 2009. His wife Françoise Gamain explain to BFMTV.com, “the second patient, we said to ourselves that it was a coincidence. But after several cases, we started to say that it was a lot of coincidences”.
In fact, over a period of 12 years, five residents of the same street developed the degenerative disease. The latter is characterized by a progressive loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. It causes progressive paralysis of the muscles. Death occurs on average within 3 to 5 years after diagnosis, most often from respiratory failure.
At the request of the Mayor, the Regional Health Agency (ARS) of Hauts-de-France looked into the cases. “The study of the report thus enabled the ARS to confirm a high number of cases of ALS in this town”the health organization told the news channel.
Public Health France has indicated, for its part, that “investigations are underway” on this possible cluster. The objective is to verify “if there actually exists a statistical excess of diseases in the observed population”. And if the latter is confirmed, the investigation will have to determine “if there are one or more local causes for this grouping of cases, other than chance”. For the moment, no specific cause has been brought to light.
ALS : “a rare disease, but not exceptional”
Asked by BFMTV.comFrançois Pradatneurologist at the hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière (APHP) and co-chair of the scientific council of the Association for Research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ARSLA) recognizes that the situation of this street is “unusual”. However, she is for him “statistically possible”because “there ALS is a rare disease, but not exceptional“. The risk of developing it during one’s life is estimated at 1/350 for men and 1/400 for women.
For the expert, “it is quite likely that environmental factors intervene in the ALS“. He adds, however, that he “you need a favorable genetic background”. 10% of patients affected by Charcot disease have a family history. “More than 25 genes are currently incriminated as responsible for ALS family, even if four of them (C9ORF72, SOD1, TARBPFUS) make account more than 50% of these cases”specify the Civil Hospices of Lyon on his site.
