However, only one in four cases is ever reported because symptoms of poisoning are very similar to those of the flu. CO cannot be detected without a reliable CO detector.
Carbon monoxide inhibits the blood's capacity to carry oxygen.
When carbon monoxide is inhaled, the gas bumps oxygen molecules out of the red blood cells. As the amount of this compound increases in the blood, the cells of the body become starved for oxygen. CO can kill a person very quickly when high levels are present. Exposure to low-levels of CO over an extended time period is also dangerous. However, infants, pregnant women, seniors and persons with respiratory ailments are particularly sensitive to CO exposure.