I can't believe it's peanut butter!

rockandrose · 11-29-2005, 07:54 PM

THE KISS OF DEATH!

"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 yesterday."

Click on the link for the rest if the article:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...5E2703,00.html

Also, take a look at the statistics:
"In the US, about 1.5 million people are severely allergic to even the smallest trace of peanuts and peanut allergies account for 50 to 100 deaths each year."

tenet_2012 · 11-29-2005, 07:58 PM

Peanut allergies are the most common.

About 1 in a hundred(or 1% for the morons) babies born are deathy allergic to peanuts.

Midnight_Terror · 11-29-2005, 08:00 PM

Yeah I think it's safe to say that they've probably broken up.

rockandrose · 11-29-2005, 08:04 PM

I know peanut butter allergies are common. Sometimes, I find it very sad that there are those who can simply die due to consuming a minuscule of peanut.

Disfunction · 11-29-2005, 09:04 PM

I totally read about this on another forum.

Disfunction · 11-29-2005, 09:13 PM

Like, okay. This one guy... okay, okay, like, his name is Bobby, and like, Bobby is like the totally sweetest guy I know; like, okay? okay, so like, Bobby and I went to the cafeteria at like noonish, and like, we like ate together. Oh my god, it was like, totally wonderful.

Even a linguistic deity like myself is prone to slip ups now and then.

Disfunction · 11-29-2005, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xnguela

I still love you... I'm sorry I made fun of you, but it was so uncharacteristic of the Dis I know and love.

It's fine; I've witnessed the same reaction from many when I swear.

anti · 11-29-2005, 09:30 PM

Yeah, I'm a horrible person. I found that funny.

I wonder how the boyfriend feels now... Shit.

Gnossos · 11-30-2005, 06:04 PM

That is a tragic story. The poor boy will be known forevermore as "The Kiss of Death."

This whole peanut allergy thing mystifies me, though. I was a preschool teacher for over fourteen years, from 1986-2000. At both of the schools I was employed by, we offered peanut butter and crackers as a morning snack almost every day, unless a parent brought in a treat that undoubtably contained nut-derived oils. We even made peanut butter play-dough on occasion. And at least half of those kids had PB&J sandwiches in their lunchboxes on a regular basis.

I remember exactly TWO children who couldn't eat peanuts; they didn't have any life-threatening reactions, just a bit of swelling and perhaps a rash. Nothing that would dictate the banishment of any and all peanut and peanut-related products from the classroom, which is apparently now common practice.

What the hell happened?

This sounds like a job for Conspiracy Man.

rockandrose · 11-30-2005, 06:24 PM

Regarding the fifteen year old girl's death:

"Ms Desforges' case is "very rare and worrisome" Ms Kagan said. "Some people have an extremely low threshold," she said, stressing cases of allergic reactions to peanut dust. "This varies greatly from person to person and is highly unpredictable."

Reactions will depend on personal medical history and on the quantity of peanut substance ingested. Allergy sufferers are often warned of threats from casual contact."

TwistedKitsune · 11-30-2005, 10:39 PM

My aunt has had several horrifying near death experiences for just coming in contact with shellfish meat (crab, lobster, etc. for any who don't know). Not consuming it, just being in contact with it, it's kind of nuts (wow...no pun intended there, lol)

rockandrose · 11-30-2005, 10:43 PM

I happen to like crab, lobster and prawns.

Scythan · 11-30-2005, 10:51 PM

What is it in shellfish that people are allergic to?

Scythan · 11-30-2005, 11:03 PM

I liked eating shrimp until I discovered that the black line you sometimes see inside them is in fact their intestine. The black stuff is fecal matter.

rockandrose · 11-30-2005, 11:05 PM

Seafood Allergies
From Judy Tidwell,

"The Third Leading Cause of Food Allergies
The third leading cause of food allergy (after eggs and milk) is seafood, which includes both fish and shellfish.

Populations that consume or process large quantities of seafood tend to have the highest prevalence of seafood allergy. For instance, shrimp allergy is more common in the southern United States while fish allergy is more common in Spain and the Scandinavian countries.

Factory workers who work in seafood-processing industries are highly affected, as well as fishermen and restaurant workers. Up to 30 percent of these workers have occupational asthma, contact dermatitis, or eczema

Fish allergies are more common in children, whereas shellfish allergies seem be more prevalent in adults. Some breast-fed infants have been sensitized to cod via their mother's milk. These allergies do not usually go away or diminish with age. These allergies usually last a lifetime with the reactions becoming more severe with each subsequent exposure.

Fish Allergy
It is estimated that about 22 percent of all populations suffer from a fish allergy. The fish commonly known to cause allergic reactions include cod, salmon, trout, herring, sardines, bass, orange roughy, swordfish, halibut, and tuna.

Severe asthmatic attacks can be triggered by the smell of fish in a sensitive person. Even anaphylactic shock has been reported after eating foods cooked in reused cooking oil, or when utensils and containers have been used earlier for cooking fish.

Shellfish Allergy
The shellfish commonly known to cause allergic reactions include shrimp, crab, crayfish, lobster, oysters, clams, scallops, mussels, squid, and snails.

Shrimp is usually associated with seafood allergies. Those allergic to shrimp often suffer from respiratory allergy. Crab is also a potent allergen. Shrimp, lobster, and crawfish contain common major allergens, making cross reactivity between shrimp and crab, and lobster and crawfish possible.

Symptoms
The manifestations of fish and shellfish allergies can include those of a classic food allergy. The more common symptoms include skin, stomach, or respiratory problems. More specifically they can include nasal congestion, hives, itching, swelling, wheezing or shortness of breath, nausea, upset stomach, cramps, heart burn, gas, diarrhea, lightheadedness, or fainting.

Reactions usually appear within 2 hours after ingestion, inhaling cooking vapors, or handling of seafood. However, it has been reported the reactions can be delayed as long as 24 hours.

Keep in mind, "Fish and shell fish spoil easily", says James T. Li, M.D., a specialist in allergies, asthma and immunology at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. "In some cases, spoiled fish can contain histamine, a substance that causes hives and flushing. If someone eats the spoiled fish, they can have symptoms similar to an allergic reaction. But this is actually a type of food poisoning.

Preventative Tips
Seafood allergies have no effective preventive treatment other than patient education and complete avoidance.

Food labels need to be read carefully because highly processed foods may contain hidden fish or shellfish. For example, the basis for imitation crab, lobster, and shrimp is pollock. It can also be used in beef and pork substitutes as part of hot dogs, ham, and pizza toppings. Also, fish skin is used to clarify some coffees and wines."

http://allergies.about.com/cs/seafood/a/aa101899.htm

"

Scythan · 11-30-2005, 11:10 PM

Thanks, rockandrose; but it doesn't seem to say what the specific allergen in shellfish is, though. I'll look on Google. Google is my friend.

Blushing Heliophobe · 12-01-2005, 05:41 AM

I believe since they have hard shells their bodies trap in whatever toxins are in the water and they can't just release them through their skin. I think that's why there is a 'red tide'. And the problem with fish is the mercury in their bodies - the older/larger the fish, the more mercury buildup.