VISALIA, Calif. (WAND) – A total of seven people have now died from a severe lung illness linked to vaping.
The death was announced by the Tulare County Health and Human Services Agency in central California on Monday.
"With sadness, we report that there has been a death of a Tulare County resident suspected to be related to severe pulmonary injury associated with vaping," Dr. Karen Haught, public health officer for Tulare County, California, said in a statement.
This is the second death reported in California. Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota and Oregon have also reported related deaths.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there are at least 380 vaping-related respiratory illnesses in 36 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Overall 43 states have reported investigation into over 500 possible cases.
At least several of the vaping-related deaths were adults who had other, underlying health conditions.
The CDC has activated its emergency operations center. This will allow them to use additional staff and resources in a nationwide investigation.
The agency has advised against using e-cigarettes and vaping devices, especially those bought off the street, as investigators have so far been unable to pinpoint any single product, ingredient or device as the source of the illnesses. Both nicotine and THC products have been implicated.
