Breathing in CO can cause symptoms that may seem like the flu. The symptoms depend on the amount of CO a person breathes in, the length of time of contact and the general health and age of the person. CO poisoning can happen suddenly or over a long period of time causing illness and death.

CO poisoning symptoms include (those bolded are the ones most often reported in the emergency department):

• Headache.
• Dizziness.
• Nausea.
• Chest tightness.
• Confusion.
• Fatigue.
• Weakness.
• Vomiting.
• Unconsciousness.
• Coma.
• Death.

People who are sleeping or are impaired by alcohol or other substances may die from CO poisoning before they have symptoms.

Anyone can be at risk for CO poisoning. But those most at-risk are:

• Babies and infants.
• Pregnant people and developing fetuses.
• People 65 years or older.
• People with chronic heart disease, lung disease or anemia.

CO poisoning is preventable. Most CO poisonings take place at home and are caused by sources that are not properly cared for or vented. All fuel-burning appliances and equipment release CO including those listed below. Those bolded are the sources that cause the most CO poisoning in Michigan.) Note: if the appliance or equipment runs on electricity alone then it does not produce CO.

• Furnaces.
• Water heaters.
• Portable generators.
• Vehicles.
• Boats.
• Charcoal grills.
• Clothes dryers.
• Fireplaces and wood-burning stoves.
• Forklifts.
• Lawnmowers and lawn equipment.
• Power washers.
• Space heaters.
• Stoves and ovens.

CO can build up in enclosed and partially enclosed spaces, like:

• Houses/buildings.
• Garages.
• Carports.
• Campers.
• Ice houses or shanties.
• Sheds.
• Tented areas or canopies.
• Warehouses.

CO detectors are designed to be life-saving devices. CO detectors are just as important and necessary as smoke detectors in the home.

Install and maintain CO detectors by:

• Installing CO detectors with battery back-up on all levels of your home and near all sleeping areas to alert you of CO.
• Testing CO detectors according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Replacing CO detector batteries twice a year. An easy way to remember is to change them every spring and fall when the time changes.
• Replacing each CO detector every five years or according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Always using a CO detector in your home when running a portable generator.
• Knowing that opening windows and doors and using fans is NOT enough to stop a deadly CO buildup in your home.

Climate change affects human health in serious ways. For example, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe, which can increase the risk for flooding and power outages. During those events, some people use heaters, generators or power washers which burn fuel and produce CO. If not used properly, they can lead to CO poisonings and death. Learning how to stay safe during extreme weather events and sharing this information with your community can help prevent CO poisoning and protect health.

CO MiTracking Indicators

CO data are for unintentional carbon monoxide poisonings. Data includes these indicators:

• Emergency department (ED) visits.
• Hospitalizations.

MiTracking Data Can Tell Us

• The number of hospitalizations or ED visits for CO poisoning by year.
• The cause of CO poisonings: fire, non-fire, unknown.
• If the rate of hospitalizations or ED visits is going up or down over time.

MiTracking Data Cannot Tell Us

• The total amount of CO poisoning in a population.

Find Out More

The ED visits dataset was processed and created using data from the Michigan Inpatient (MIDB) and Outpatient (MODB) Databases. The hospitalizations datasets were created from the MIDB.

The MIDB is a database of all hospitalizations at acute care hospitals in Michigan. The MODB contains information on emergency department visits at acute care hospitals in Michigan

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Michigan Environmental Public Health Tracking (MiTracking) program obtained the datasets with permission from the Michigan Health and Hospital Association (MHA).

For more data information, visit:

• About These Data (found in query search results).
• Metadata (technical information about the content, quality and context of the data):
  • ED visits.
  • Hospitalizations.

Michigan

Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA)

• MI Prevention.

MDHHS

• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.
• Michigan Climate and Health Adaptation Program (MICHAP).

Michigan Legislature

• Michigan Act 230 of 1972 – CO Detector Installation.

Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA)

• Carbon Monoxide (CO) (download).

Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center

Homepage.

Michigan State University Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Michigan Carbon Monoxide Reports (2009-2014).

National

CDC

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.

Climate and Health.

National Environmental Public Health Tracking (CDC Tracking).

• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.
• Data Explorer.

National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS)- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning 2019 Case Definition (technical document).

National Carbon Monoxide Awareness Association (NCOAA)

Homepage.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)

Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards.

Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA)

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning (fact sheet).

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission

Homepage.

Other Resources

Prevent Child Injury (Toolkit).

Fact Sheets

• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.
• Prevent Carbon Monoxide Poisoning During a Power Outage.
• Portable Generators and Carbon Monoxide Poisoning.

Newsletter

• MiTracking November 2023: carbon monoxide.

Press Release

• November 8, 2024 - Michigan residents reminded of carbon monoxide dangers; routinely check detectors and appliances.
• November 2, 2023 - MDHHS reminds Michigan residents to take steps to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Videos

• Carbon Monoxide and Boating.
• Carbon Monoxide and Generators.