Vapers in the US Continue to Die from Unknown Illness: Nearly 500 Affected in 33 States

The exact cause of the illness remains unknown.

More than 450 people in 33 states and the US Virgin Islands have suffered from a lung illness believed to be linked to vaping. A week ago, there were more than half as many cases—215 people in 25 states. The number of deaths has risen from two to five.

Three new deaths were announced in the states of Indiana, Minnesota and California, reports The New York Times. Authorities are investigating the causes, and medical experts do not recommend using vaping devices.

"We are working to determine what is making people sick, — said Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). — All available information is being carefully analyzed, and the initial results are bringing us closer to the answers needed to save lives."

The exact cause of the illness remains unknown, however researchers believe it is most likely related to exposure to chemical substances.

"While the investigation continues, people should consider not using e-cigarettes," — said CDC spokesperson Dana Meaney-Delman, who is investigating the illness.

In recent months, the debate in the US over the impact of vaping on human health has intensified due to dozens of cases of severe respiratory illness. In August, authorities in the state of Illinois recorded what was presumably the first death in the country resulting from e-cigarette use.

After examining 53 cases of the illness in Wisconsin and Illinois, in September researchers concluded that 83% of those affected were men, with the median age of patients being 19 years. 84% of those who fell ill reported using tetrahydrocannabinol via e-cigarettes before symptoms appeared. Almost all of them suffered from respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders, 94% required hospitalization, and one of them died.

In North Carolina, the attorney general filed lawsuits against eight manufacturers and sellers of vaping products to limit the spread of their products among teenagers.