The United States Embassy in Costa Rica has issued a warning about the risk of carbon monoxide, weeks after the death of Miller Gardner, son of former Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner.
The embassy said, "Most countries in Latin America, including Costa Rica, do not have widespread laws mandating carbon monoxide detectors" in the alert.
Officials said that some businesses, such as hotels, may voluntarily install detectors.
Embassy officials suggest that Americans traveling abroad should ask if rooms or homes have carbon monoxide detectors installed and travel with a portable detector.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said carbon monoxide is an odorless and colorless gas that can cause illness or death if inhaled.
It can come from a variety of sources, including gas- and oil-burning furnaces, portable generators or even charcoal grills.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headaches, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, vomiting, chest pain and confusion.
You can pass out if you breathe in a lot of carbon monoxide and even die. People who are sleeping or drunk can die before showing symptoms.
More than 400 people in the U.S. die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning not related to a fire. More than 100,000 people go to an emergency room, with 14,000 people hospitalized.
Miller Gardner was on vacation with his family in Costa Rica when he died. He had a carboxyhemoglobin level of 64%, or 14% higher than lethal levels, officials said earlier this month, according to ABC News.
He was found dead in his hotel room, CNN reported.
High levels of carbon monoxide were found in a mechanical room next to the hotel room where Miller Gardner was found. A hotel spokesperson had said, “The levels in the hotel room were non-existent and non-lethal.”
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