Outbreak of Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever—Uganda, August 2000-January 2001

Abstract

2 figures omitted HYPOTHERMIA IS THE UNINTENTIONAL lowering of core body temperature to Ͻ95°F (Ͻ35°C). 1 Core body temperature normally is maintained at 97.7°F (36.5°C). 2 Most hypothermia-related deaths occur during the winter in states that have moderate to severe cold temperatures (e.g., Alaska, Illinois, New York, and Pennsylvania). 3 During 1979-1998, New York had the second highest number of hypothermia-related deaths in the United States. This report presents case reports of four hypothermia-related deaths during January 1999-March 2000 in Suffolk County (1999 population: 1,383,847), the largest county in New York excluding New York City, and summarizes hypothermia-related deaths in the United States during 1979-1998. Such deaths can be prevented by educating health-care providers and the public to identify persons at risk for hypothermia. Case Reports Case 1. On December 15, 1998, an 89-year-old woman with a history of wandering was noticed missing from the adult home facility where she resided and was found shivering in 1 foot of water at the edge of a pond on the property. The temperature that day ranged from 23°F-54°F (−5°C-12.2°C). On admission to a hospital, her rectal temperature was 95°F (35°C). Her