Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Charcot disease, is a neurodegenerative pathology. It manifests itself by progressive muscular paralysis due to degeneration of motor neurons.
In France, other ALS “clusters” appeared in particular in Hérault, but also in a small town in Isère and a village in Savoie around fifteen years ago. Studies have shed light on two toxic agents: the neurotoxin BMAA, found in cyanobacteria present in water, and hydrazine, a chemical substance which is found in mushrooms.