Lung disease linked to vaping increasing in the US

A sixth death has been reported in the wave of lung-disease cases linked to vaping in the US, as several hundred cases of serious illness have been identified throughout the country.

The sixth victim, a woman in her 50s from Kansas, had several existing health issues but became seriously ill and died after using e-cigarettes, according to a statement by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment on 10th September.

Illness due to vaping is becoming a national problem, as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified 450 possible cases of vaping-related lung disease in 33 states and the US Virgin Islands.

Hospitals have admitted patients with coughs, shortness of breath, chest pains, vomiting, and fatigue.

Many of the reported cases involve previously healthy people who developed acute, life-threatening illnesses, with some having to use breathing machines to aid their recovery.

Antibiotics were not effective in treating the disease, and it’s not yet clear if the use of steroids was beneficial in treating those who became ill.

The CDC found no evidence of infectious disease in any of the cases, meaning that the illnesses were most likely linked to chemical exposure.

The agency said that it could not link any specific product or substance to all cases, although many people who became ill said they had vaped THC (the chemical substance in marijuana that induces a high), nicotine, or a combination of the two.

US public health officials are trying to understand what is causing the developing epidemic, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the CDC working with state health departments to conduct investigations.