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Foreign bodies, particularly metal objects, are sometimes accidentally mixed with cattle feed. Ingestion of metal objects can cause damage to internal organs, which can lead to death in the worst cases. Following a request from the association Robin des Bois, ANSES has just published an expert appraisal report to determine the extent of the problem. This report recommends preventive measures to reduce the risk of metal fragment ingestion by cows and suggests that magnets can be administered as an effective method for avoiding injury.

How can distributors guarantee the safety of products sold to consumers in bulk? Can all products be sold this way? With bulk selling becoming increasingly popular, driven by social demand as well as by the legislator through the French AGEC Act, ANSES has been asked by the Directorate General for fair Trading, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) to give its opinion regarding products that may not be sold in this way for public health reasons. To continue to effectively protect consumer health, it is important for distributors to apply appropriate procedures to bulk selling.

European Antibiotic Awareness Day is taking place on 18 November 2021. For this occasion, ANSES is publishing the results of several monitoring programmes that it carries out to prevent the emergence and spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in farm and domestic animals in France. Below is a review of some key findings with Jean-Yves Madec, Scientific Director for antimicrobial resistance and Head of the French surveillance network for antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic bacteria of animal origin (RESAPATH), Gérard Moulin, Deputy Director of the French Agency for Veterinary Medicinal Products (ANMV), and Agnès Perrin-Guyomard, Deputy Head of the National Reference Laboratory for antimicrobial resistance.

Mosquito traps are increasingly used in public spaces as a means to prevent mosquito bites and to control mosquito-borne diseases. However, the studies currently available are not sufficient to demonstrate the short-term effectiveness of these traps in preventing the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. ANSES is therefore encouraging their use primarily as a preventive measure (in the medium and long term) to reduce high mosquito density as part of an integrated control strategy. ANSES also points out that the marketing and use of these traps must comply with regulations. In recent decades, a number of mosquito-borne diseases – such as dengue, chikungunya and Zika – have spread outside tropical regions. The use of mosquito traps as a complement or alternative to other techniques for controlling the spread of viruses, is a relatively recent idea. In France, the operators responsible for limiting the spread of mosquitoes are appointed by the Regional Health Agencies (ARSs). Some 15 operators currently exist, but they do not all use mosquito traps in the same way. ANSES conducted a literature review to assess the effectiveness of the mosquito traps used by operators as part of vector control. Several ways to attract female mosquitoes Two main types of trap are used to catch female mosquitoes, which are the only ones able to bite and to transmit pathogens. The first type of trap simulates an egg-laying site. A water-filled container uses a variety of means, including insecticide and glue strips, to trap the females when they come to lay their eggs. The second type of trap attracts mosquitoes by simulating the breathing of a living being through the diffusion of carbon dioxide (CO2) and/or the use of visual or olfactory attractants (for example, lactic acid to simulate human body odour). A control method to be used alongside other techniques “ We have a body of evidence showing that both types of trap can have a preventive effect in reducing the mosquito population in the medium and long term (over several weeks, months, or even years), providing that they are well maintained and used in sufficient numbers ,” says Johanna Fite, head of the "Vectors" unit at ANSES. “ However, they are not a magic solution. Traps are most effective when used in conjunction with other control methods , particularly the elimination of breeding sites. " No studies concerning the impact of traps on the spread of disease Some operators place traps when cases of vector-borne disease are identified. Traps are set up for a period of three to six weeks around the homes of infected people. The expert appraisal conducted by ANSES identified no data shedding light on the effectiveness of traps in quickly containing the spreading of disease when the viruses are already in circulation. The Agency therefore recommends that research be carried out in order to collect data on this question and to determine the best conditions for the deployment of these traps, based on different epidemiological scenarios, including an isolated case, an outbreak and an epidemic. Pending these additional data, mosquito traps should be used only as a preventive measure, or in cases where it is not possible to use an insecticide, for example when the area to be treated is inaccessible or close to a waterway. A reminder needed of the regulations CO2, lactic acid and other substances used to attract female mosquitoes are biocidal substances. Traps using these substances must therefore comply with the regulations on biocides . They also require marketing authorisation (MA). To date, no applications for marketing authorisation have been filed in France for mosquito traps using CO2. Under the terms of a transitional regime, the marketing of traps using CO2 produced through combustion is authorised until July 2022. After this date, it will no longer be possible to sell traps without a marketing authorisation in France. Applications for marketing authorisation must include documentary proof of the effectiveness and safety of these traps. Finally, devices will not be able to make claims such as "zero nuisance" or "mosquito-free home" without proof.