Abstract
Verona is a town in Veneto Region (Italy) characterised by a high
socio-economic status, but we register some health problems related to
low income or social deprivation, such as unintentional carbon monoxide
poisoning in private houses. Recently, indeed, there has been a
rise in the number of accidents concerning immigrant populations.
Since early 1990s, epidemiological informations in the matter weren?t
complete and the number of cases was therefore probably underestimated.
Presently no centralised system exists in Italy or in Veneto
Region for recording the incidence of household CO poisoning. An
?Observatory on CO poisonings? was therefore activated in Verona
Municipality in 1994 to overcome the problem of lacking data. The
Observatory systematically collects data on cases of acute household
CO poisoning occurring in the whole Verona area. These informations
are used to assess public health interventions.
During 13 years? activity 671 cases of CO poisoning and
22 deaths were recorded. The accidents were caused by the
malfunctioning of home heating appliances. Statistics show a
progressive increase in the number of not Italian involved in
these episodes. Inspections revealed that immigrants often live
in poor houses with unsafe systems or with extremely precarious
heating systems.
Data from this surveillance system on CO poisoning have shown
that this is a public health problem involving immigrants much
more often than local population. This system in real time supplies
epidemiological and environmental data for improving
public health intervention strategies. Such data collection systems
could be useful to study other relevant problems of health
disparities in lower socio-economical classes.
