An Illinois resident who had recently vaped and was hospitalized with severe respiratory illness has died, reports USA Today citing the Illinois Department of Public Health.
As of August 22, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had not reported any deaths from vaping-related illnesses, making the Illinois case a possible first in the United States.
“This is the first death of an individual in Illinois who has been hospitalized for severe respiratory illness with reported vaping/e-cigarette use,” said Melaney Arnold, the department’s health information officer.
Illinois health officials did not say whether an autopsy was completed to determine the cause and manner of the person’s death. It is unclear if the individual had any preexisting conditions.
The number of cases reported to the Illinois Department of Public Health of people who have used e-cigarettes or vaped and have been hospitalized with respiratory symptoms has doubled in the past week, the state department said.
“Everybody needs to be on alert,” Wendy Sue Swanson, a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s Hospital, was quoted as saying.
The CDC announced on Friday that there are now 193 potential cases of lung disease from vaping in 22 states.