First Death Reported as CDC Investigates Mysterious Vaping-Related Lung Illness
Health officials are investigating nearly 200 cases of severe respiratory illness linked to e-cigarette use following the first reported death of an adult in Illinois. The CDC and FDA are currently gathering data to determine the exact cause of these unexplained pulmonary symptoms.
An adult in Illinois dies from a severe pulmonary illness that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention links to vaping or e-cigarette use. Nearly 200 other people across the country report similar severe and unexplained respiratory symptoms after using these devices. Health officials rule out infectious diseases but remain hesitant to definitively identify a single cause for the growing number of cases.
Patients experience a gradual onset of symptoms, including breathing difficulty, shortness of breath, and occasional gastrointestinal issues that frequently lead to hospitalization. The affected individuals in Illinois range from 17 to 38 years old and are mostly male. Despite the similarities in these cases, investigators do not know if a common cause exists or if they are dealing with different diseases that simply present with similar respiratory symptoms.
The CDC and the FDA are actively collaborating to gather more information and determine whether illicit or imported products fall under their regulatory authority. No specific e-cigarette product or substance connects all of the reported illnesses at this time. State health departments lead the individual epidemiological investigations while the CDC builds a national system to aggregate data and asks doctors to report any suspected cases.