2014 Heat Wave and Health Alert System: End of the Seasonal Monitoring Period During the summer of 2014, temperature trends varied widely: June saw above-normal average temperatures, July showed contrasting conditions between the north and south of the country, and August had below-normal average temperatures. Over the entire summer period, no department was placed under an orange heat wave alert by Météo-France. Two brief periods of intense heat were observed (yellow alert): on June 8 and 9 in Rhône-Alpes, Franche-Comté, and Alsace; and from July 16 to 19 from the southwest to Champagne-Ardenne and Lorraine. These episodes had a moderate impact on morbidity indicators directly linked to heat (hyperthermia/heatstroke, dehydration, and hyponatremia). Heat-related health indicators will be presented again starting in June 2015. Unless there is a specific epidemiological situation, the Cire’s epidemiological update will return to a bimonthly publication schedule for September and October 2014.

Increase in mushroom poisoning casesIn 2014, 240 cases of mushroom poisoning were recorded by the CAPTVs (including 4 severe cases and 1 death) between June 30 and August 17 (compared to 95 during the same period in 2013). A weekly number of poisoning cases ranging from 35 to 50 has been observed since week 29. The Oscour® network recorded 116 emergency room visits for mushroom poisoning during the same period across the entire country (compared to 34 visits during the same period in 2013). These cases were observed mainly in Midi-Pyrénées, Rhône-Alpes, Languedoc-Roussillon, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, but all regions are affected. These figures are consistent with the rainy weather conditions this summer. The InVS is continuing its weekly national surveillance of mushroom poisoning cases in 2014.