Mortality from heat during July 1966 in Illinois.

Abstract

During the period 10 to 14 July 1966, weather conditions in Illinois led to a 36% increase in deaths for the month over those that had occurred in July 1965. At Springfield, Illinois, and St. Louis, Missouri,Thom's temperature-humidity index (T H I) exceeded 29°C for several hours on each of these days, with a 24-hr average of 27°C or greater. There was a significant increase in deaths from cardiovascular disease, particularly cerebral hemorrhage and arteriosclerosis,among persons 65 years and older. In contrast, the working age group,45 to 64 years, showed practically no excess mortality. Deaths from malignant neoplasm were below their expected numbers for all ages. For the first time,a sufficiently large Negro population has been observed under heat stress to warrant an analysis by age, sex and race.The Comparative Mortality Figure (C M F) was used to make the comparisons. Both sexes of the white race in the age range 25 to 54 years and the Negro females ages 55 years and over were seriously affected.