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Residents of counties not in the direct path of a hurricane will experience consequences similar to those who live in a hurricanes direct path. They may suffer physical injuries, barriers to medical treatment, loss of work days, and hurricane-related mental health problems.
| PRESS CONTACT: Youjie Huang, MD, MPH, DrPH Chronic Disease Epidemiologist (850) 245-4407 |
Results from a telephone survey of Florida residents following the four major hurricanes of 2004 underscores the need to improve certain areas of preparedness planning. Nearly half of all Floridians had no evacuation plan during any of the four hurricanes, including those who resided in counties in a hurricanes direct path. Portable generators were operated by an estimated 1.1 million households; of those, 4.6% reported using generators improperly inside a home or garage. Residents of counties not in the direct path of any of the hurricanes had consequences similar to those who did, such as physical injuries, barriers to medical care, and loss of work days.
To avoid illness and possibly death from carbon monoxide poisoning, portable generators must be operated outside of any buildings and far away from doors, windows and air conditioners.
| PRESS CONTACT: David Van Sickle, PhD Air Pollution and Respiratory Health Branch CDC, National Center for Environmental Health (404) 498-0070 |
Carbon monoxide (CO) from the exhaust of gasoline-powered portable generators killed 6 Florida residents and poisoned many others during last years hurricane season. A study of 10 hospitals around the state, conducted by the CDC and the Florida Department of Health, found that 161 of 167 (96.4 percent) individuals poisoned by CO had been using portable generators, usually located indoors, in garages, or outdoors but near to residences. Most exposures occurred as a result of overnight use to power air conditioners and appliances. These findings demonstrate that the CO produced by portable generators presents a serious health hazard. Portable generators cannot be safely used indoors, in a garage (even with an open garage door), or outside anywhere near a door, window, or air conditioner.
In North Carolina, GBS prevention efforts are not reaching all pregnant women despite universal prenatal screening recommendations. Overall, almost half of Hispanic women did not know their GBS screening status, underscoring the need to develop and implement effective educational messages for this population.
| PRESS CONTACT: Heidi W. Brown Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases/ Respiratory Diseases Branch CDC, National Center for Infectious Diseases (404) 639-3286 |
Group B streptococcus (GBS) is the leading cause of serious bacterial infections in newborns. In 2002, revised guidelines were published recommending late prenatal culture-based screening for GBS in all pregnant women. To assess implementation of universal prenatal GBS screening among pregnant women in North Carolina, CDC analyzed 2002 and 2003 data from North Carolinas Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. Although the overall GBS screening rate was high during 2002 70 percent and 2003 74 percent, screening rates were substantially below average among Hispanic women, women who received prenatal care primarily from hospital or health department clinics, and women who did not receive other recommended prenatal interventions (e.g., HIV testing). This highlights the need to increase GBS-related education and prevention efforts among these groups.
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| Privacy Policy | Contact Us This page last reviewed July 21, 2005 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
