Reports of childhood lead poisoning in southern Nevada have increased in recent years.
Nevada Current reports that more testing is playing a large role in the increase.
Statistics kept by the Southern Nevada Health District indicate 43 reported cases of lead poisoning in 2015, and 175 in 2017, mainly among children.
Researchers are calling for a greater effort to detect lead poisoning in children. An associate researcher with the Nevada Institute for Children’s Research and Policy said only three percent of Nevada children under the age of six are tested for lead poisoning.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend screening children at 12 and 24 months, or at least once before 6 years of age.
Clark County is the only county in the state that has any kind of Lead Poisoning Surveillance Program to investigate environmental sources of lead poisoning.