Oil spill makes people sick

The oil spill makes people sick.

(12.06.2010) Already 70 people have visited a doctor in Louisiana alone because of the episode of oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico. The US Department of Health reported that patients complained of headache, inflamed eyes, nausea and vomiting, and severe respiratory problems. Of the 70 patients, eight had to be hospitalized. It is expected that more people will have to seek medical treatment in the near future. However, most of the helpers are affected, who among other things try to help oil-contaminated animals.

About 50 patients had direct contact with the oil or chemicals used to clean the oil spill. Other patients complained of respiratory limitations as the stench of the oil spill reached them home. US Labor Secretary Hilda Solis met yesterday with relief teams trying to cleanse the beaches. Many helpers complain of the symptoms described. Most oil spill sufferers belonged to cleanup squads used by BP Group. Robert Emery of the University of Texas Health Science Center told the New York Times, "There's no doubt people are getting sick out there, and the key question is what causes the disease." Many physicians expect above all illnesses as a result of long-term damage. (Sb)