Peanut allergy death

A Quebec teenager with a peanut allergy has died after kissing her boyfriend who had eaten a peanut butter sandwich hours earlier.

Fifteen-year-old Christina Desforges died Monday. She went into anaphylactic shock and in spite of being given an adrenalin shot, could not be revived.

She obviously had a very severe allergy given the small amount of peanut that must have remained on her boyfriends lips and face. Still this reminds all of us who have or take care of people with food allergies how vigilant we must be.

This letter to the NEJM (requires free registration) reports that exposure via kissing is not rare, but this is the first death I'm aware of.