LAKEWOOD RANCH - The Sarasota County Health Department is now gathering information on what it calls an emerging concern.  It's received about two dozen complaints from people who say they're getting sick in their homes.

And the problem may be drywall from China.

First there was lead paint on toys, then tainted pet food and baby formula.  And now another concern about an item made in China.

Kristin Culliton has a brand new home in Lakewood Ranch.  But she says she can't live in it -- she says it makes her sick.  You can't see the problem, but you can smell it...a strong odor of sulfur.

It permeates everything.  Some compare it to rotten eggs, or being near a sewage treatment plant.  "My mom talked with the EPA, and they said if something smells that's why we have our sense of smell, and taste.  If something doesn't smell right you don't need to be living there.  My OB/GYN also recommend that I move out as well," says Culliton.  Kristin was expecting at the time, and didn't want to take any chances.

An inspector for the company that built her home, Taylor Morrison, came out to check.  She says they told her the problem was Chinese drywall.  During the building boom in southwest Florida, some builders imported products from China.

Now complaints are coming in from people who have lived in these homes for about a year about strong sulfur smells and problems with their air conditioning units.  Sulfur corrodes copper.  In Kristin's home, you can see rust leaking from her air conditioning unit.

Complaints like these from dozens of residents in southwest Florida has prompted the state Health Department to investigate.

The Sarasota County Health Department is also on the case.  "The symptoms we're hearing about are mild respiratory symptoms, such as scratchy throats, tightness in chest, maybe a slight cough, watery eyes, a few reports of headaches.  And most of these symptoms clear up when people leave the homes," says Charles Henry of the Sarasota County Health Department.

Henry says the Health Department is not taking the situation lightly.  "We like to determine when people have symptoms like that, where is it coming from what might be causing it, and is it a long term health problem or is something we need to look at more closely?"

Kristin is now suing Taylor Morrison to try and get her drywall replaced.  So far she says the company has only been willing to put in air purification equipment.

She hopes by sharing her story she can warn others about what could be in hidden in the walls of their homes.  "I hope no one else has to go through this.  It's absolutely terrible."

Taylor Morrison would only tell us they don't comment when there is pending litigation.

Other home builders have also had problems, including Lennar homes.  Lennar says that between November 2005 and November 2006, sheets of drywall manufactured in China were installed in some homes by subcontractors.  The company is getting good reports from state and local health officials for working to help customers who are having problems.  In a statement from the company, Lennar says "scientific testing shows no indication of any health risks to our homeowners...and are working with our homeowners on long-term solutions."