First death related to vaping reported in Illinois

WASHINGTON, Aug 24 (KUNA) -- One death has been reported in the state of Illinois of a person had recently vaped "and was hospitalized with severe respiratory illness." The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) said in a statement that "the number of cases of people reported to IDPH who have used e-cigarettes or vaped and have been hospitalized with respiratory symptoms has doubled in the past week." It indicated that 22 people, ranging in age from 17-38 years, "have experienced respiratory illness after using e-cigarettes or vaping." The Department noted that is working with local health departments "to investigate another 12 individuals." "The severity of illness people are experiencing is alarming and we must get the word out that using e-cigarettes and vaping can be dangerous," said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike.
"We requested a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help us investigate these cases," he added.
For its part, the CDC said in a statement that it is "saddened to hear of the first death related to the outbreak of severe lung disease in those who use e-cigarette or "vaping" devices." It affirmed that CDC's investigation is "ongoing" and that it is "working with state and local health departments and FDA to learn the cause or causes of this ongoing outbreak." "This tragic death in Illinois reinforces the serious risks associated with e-cigarette products," it warned.
It noted that it has been warning "about the identified and potential dangers of e-cigarettes and vaping since these devices first appeared." (end) si.tg