The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) previously monitored Florida Poison Information Center (FPICN) data for timely detection of increases in carbon monoxide (CO) exposures before, during, and after hurricanes. Recent analyses have noted that CO poisonings have also increased with generator use and improper heating of homes during cold winter months in Florida. Similarly, increases in CO poisoning cases related to motor vehicles have been observed during summer months. CO is an odorless, colorless, poisonous gas causing sudden illness and death, if present in sufficient concentration in ambient air. The most common signs and symptoms include headache, nausea, lethargy/fatigue, weakness, abdominal discomfort/pain, confusion, and dizziness.
Objective
This presentation summarizes Florida’s experience in identifying CO poisoning clusters using ESSENCE-based syndromic surveillance.