COMPLETE COVERAGE | FRONT LINES | AMERICA AT HOME | INTERACTIVES »

Firefighters to be checked for 'WTC cough'

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Firefighters who raced to the World Trade Center collapse last month will be checked for respiratory problems.

Starting today, the nearly 11,000 firefighters who responded to the attack will undergo screening.

MORE STORIES Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Health concerns at Ground Zero     CNN.COM SPECIAL REPORT  CNN NewsPass Video  Agencies reportedly got hijack tips in 1998  MORE STORIES Intelligence intercept led to Buffalo suspects Report cites warnings before 9/11  EXTRA INFORMATION Timeline: Who Knew What and When? Interactive: Terror Investigation Terror Warnings System Most wanted terrorists What looks suspicious? In-Depth: America Remembers In-Depth: Terror on Tape In-Depth: How prepared is your city?  RESOURCES On the Scene: Barbara Starr: Al Qaeda hunt expands? On the Scene: Peter Bergen: Getting al Qaeda to talk

Dr. David Prezant, chief pulmonologist for the New York Fire Department, said there has been an increase in the number of cases he calls the "World Trade Center cough."

The symptoms have been as severe as respiratory distress requiring mechanical ventilation, while most have a cough with or without associated sinus infection.

While Prezant is hesitant to refer to the problem as a "syndrome," he said there has been a sudden increase in respiratory problems and up to 40 percent of the respondents need medical care and treatment for their breathing problems.

The health surveillance screening program will target 150 to 170 firefighters a day for the next two months.

The specific tests will include lung function tests, chest X-rays, electrocardiograms, hearing tests and blood work, including screening for heavy metal contamination and PCBs. Firefighters and other rescue personnel, including EMTs and paramedics, will also begin educational and counseling sessions about post-traumatic stress disorder and other effects the events of September 11 may have on their physical and emotional lives.