JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — State health officials say Missourians need to be sure their furnaces are working correctly to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
The gas is odorless and invisible but can kill. Last year, 49 people in the U.S. died from exposure to carbon monoxide and another 287 were treated in hospital emergency rooms. Carbon monoxide can be released into homes when gas, natural gas, wood and other fuels are burned. Symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure include sleepiness and nausea.
Health officials encourage people to install carbon monoxide detectors that work like smoke detectors and sound an alarm. Missourians also should have their heating and ventilation system checked annually.
