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The CDC said Friday, Sept. 6, that they are also investigating a fourth death possibly linked to vaping, in addition to deaths in Illinois and Oregon, and the latest in Indiana.
Officials said as of Friday, the number of people who have come down with a severe lung illness linked to vaping has doubled to 450 possible cases in 33 states.
"Although more investigation is needed to determine the vaping agent or agents responsible, there is clearly an epidemic that begs for an urgent response," Dr. David C. Christiani of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health wrote in an editorial published Friday in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Many of the ill patients have reported vaping THC. Some reported using both THC and e-cigarettes while a smaller group reported using only nicotine, the CDC said.
New York officials reported on Thursday, Sept. 5, they have narrowed a focus on vitamin E acetate, but CDC officials said it’s too early to pinpoint one substance.
No evidence of infectious diseases has been identified in any of the patients, therefore lung illnesses are likely associated with chemical exposure, the CDC said.
“We are committed to finding out what is making people sick,” said Robert R. Redfield, MD, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “All available information is being carefully analyzed, and these initial findings are helping us narrow the focus of our investigation and get us closer to the answers needed to save lives.”
Symptoms of the illness include cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and fever, the CDC said.
Regardless of the ongoing investigation, the CDC said people who use e-cigarette products should not buy these products off the street and should not modify e-cigarette products or add any substances that are not intended by the manufacturer.
More information about the investigation is available on the CDC website.
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