Carbon monoxide poisoning in the home as an indicator of social integration of immigrant population.

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 hearing 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.