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Reported illness among vapers reaches 150 possible cases

By MIKE STOBBEAugust 21, 2019 GMT

In this Tuesday, April 10, 2018 photo, Marshfield High School Principal Robert Keuther displays vaping devices that were confiscated from students in such places as restrooms or hallways at the school in Marshfield, Mass. Illinois health officials are reporting what could be United States' first death tied to vaping. In a Friday, Aug. 23, 2019, news release, the Illinois Department of Public Health says a person who recently vaped died after being hospitalized with "severe respiratory illness." The agency didn't give any other information about the patient, including a name or where the person lived. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — The number of breathing illnesses reported among people who vape is growing. Health officials are now looking into more than 150 possible cases in 16 states.

Officials on Wednesday said the Food and Drug Administration has joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and states investigating reports from the last two months.

All the illnesses were in teens or adults who had used an electronic cigarette or some other kind of vaping device. Doctors say the illnesses resemble an inhalation injury, with the lungs apparently reacting to a caustic substance. So far infectious diseases have been ruled out.

No single vaping product or compound has been linked to all of the cases, and officials said it’s not clear if there’s a common cause.

No deaths have been reported.