April 23rd, 2009
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This news item is more than a year old. Links, graphics, content, medical information, and statistics may be out of date. We invite you to search, visit our homepage, or contact us to find more current information on the topic you're looking for.Surveillance System Detected Increased Respiratory Problems During Wildfires
MedPage Today, July 11, 2008 -- There was a spike in respiratory illnesses that coincided with the wildfires in San Diego County last October, found a nationwide biosurveillance system.
The BioSense system collects chief complaints of patients and physician diagnosis codes from emergency departments across the U.S. for use by public health officials and hospitals. A total of 540 non-federal hospitals and more than 1,100 federal facilities are contributing information to the system.
More information on wildfire smoke