News as of July 19, 2012

Drowning surveillance: As part of the NOYADES 2012 survey, the InVS recorded 148 accidental drownings between June 1 and July 5—a period of five weeks—of which 73 resulted in death, averaging two deaths per day. Of these 148 cases, 40% occurred at sea, 15% in swimming pools (all types combined), 13% in bodies of water, 28% in rivers and streams, and 4% in other locations (bathtubs, ponds, etc.). Since June 1, 12 young people under the age of 20 have died, including 2 children under the age of 6, one of whom died in a private family pool.

PhysaTox surveillance of jellyfish stings: as of July 19, 2012, jellyfish have been observed sporadically on various beaches in the Aquitaine region; since April 1, 2012, three cases of jellyfish stings have been reported by the sentinel network of beach lifeguard stations established in the region.