Family Poisoned by Carbon Monoxide Brought to Hospital

A family of four complaining of flu-like symptoms was brought to the hospital Monday to be treated for carbon monoxide poisioning, said Captain John French of the Imperial Beach Fire Department.

Upon assessing their condition and entering the home, firefighters detected excessive levels of carbon monoxide and the family was transported to UCSD Medical Center.

French declined to state whether a carbon monoxide detector was in the home, but urged people to buy their own.

"They're pretty cheap. It's your life compared to the price of a CO detector," he said. "CO poisoning is a real serious thing. CO is colorless, odorless, can't be detected unless you have a detector in the house, you know, so this is really a time to make sure you have a CO detector in your house and make sure that it's working correctly."

The source of the excessive carbon monoxide is still being analyzed by SDG&E, French said.

To further protect against carbon monoxide poisoning, SDG&E can help people assess if gas appliances in their home are working correctly, he said.

The Imperial Beach Fire Department received a 911 call at 11:50 a.m. and arrived at 981 Cypress St. first, followed by an AMR ambulance.

Carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms include dizziness, nausea and confusion, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People who suffer carbon monoxide poisoning can suffer loss of consciousness or die.

The Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010 requires all homeowners and landlords place carbon monoxide detector in residences.