Eight people at a Redwood City home have been hospitalized in what authorities have called a case of carbon monoxide poisoning. The victims, including children, had been sleeping in close proximity to a heating device connected to a gas-powered generator, officials said.

 

They were using the generator Wednesday night after power to the home was cut off. Officials suspect that fumes from the generator are to blame for the carbon monoxide in the home. The victims were taken to both Stanford and Kaiser hospitals.

 

When firefighters arrived, all eight were conscious but they experienced symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning, which can include headaches, nausea and vomiting.

 

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, tasteless and colorless gas and is highly toxic. Carbon monoxide poisoning is the most common type of fatal poisoning in many countries. Exposure to this toxic gas can lead to significant toxicity of the central nervous system and heart. Symptoms of mild poisoning include headaches and dizziness at concentrations less than 100 ppm. Haemoglobin, myoglobin, and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase are thought to be compromised. At lower levels of exposure, the effects of the gas on human health are often mistaken for the flu. Prolonged exposure can lead to brain damage and even death.

 

According to the Baltimore City Health Department, more than two dozen city residents have been hospitalized due to carbon monoxide exposure in their homes since 2005. The majority of the carbon monoxide poisoning cases occurred in the home.

 

An estimated 500 people die yearly in the U.S. of unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide, also known as the “Silent Killer,” is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in America.