'People are dying': Number of lung injuries linked to vaping surges to 530 cases as federal officials disclose criminal probe

Mary Spicuzza Raquel Rutledge
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

At least 530 people have gotten sick as an outbreak of vaping-linked lung illness spreads across the country, federal officials said Thursday.       

Seven people have died, and officials said more deaths are expected because some of the patients are suffering from such severe lung illnesses.

As health officials scramble to figure out what is causing the mysterious outbreak, the enforcement arm of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has begun its own parallel criminal investigation. 

"We are very concerned," said Anne Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "People are dying."

The number of confirmed and probable cases of vaping-linked lung illnesses jumped from 380 last week to 530 as of Thursday, she said.

During a briefing with reporters, she provided a demographic snapshot of those who've gotten sick: Nearly three-fourths of the cases are men, two-thirds are between 18 and 34, and 16% are younger than 18.

Many of the patients are young people, with more than half younger than 25, Schuchat said.

Cases have now been reported in 38 states and one United States territory.

Officials predicted that the number of deaths would grow.

"We do expect others," Schuchat said.

Federal officials are still working to determine what products or chemicals are making people sick. No single product has been identified, and some patients are too sick to talk, officials said. 

"I'd like to stress how challenging this situation is, as patients may have been exposed to a variety of products and substances, may not know the contents or sources of these products, and in some instances may be reluctant or too ill to disclose all the details of interest," Schuchat said.

Investigators from the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations have been working on a parallel investigation since the lung injuries were first reported earlier this summer, a top agency official disclosed Thursday.

"The focus is on the supply chain," said Mitch Zeller, director of the Center for Tobacco Products for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Zeller said that more than 150 samples have been collected as part of that investigation, and urged people to share information. He added that the office was not targeting people who had cartridges with controlled substances for personal use.

"We are in desperate need of facts and answers to questions," Zeller said.

Most of the patients said they had vaped THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Many said they had vaped THC and nicotine, and some said they had vaped only nicotine products, officials said.

Zeller added that at this point they have "more questions than answers."

It's unclear whether that investigation involves the recent massive drug bust in southeastern Wisconsin involving an operation that allegedly manufactured thousands of counterfeit vaping cartridges loaded with THC oil every day. In a September raid, investigators reportedly seized about 31,200 vape cartridges filled with THC, about 98,000 empty vape cartridges and 57 mason jars filled with THC oil.

Also, last week two men in their early 20s were arrested in Arizona on charges of manufacturing counterfeit THC cartridges. Police found more than 1,000 vape cartridges at the home in north Phoenix and seized about $380,000 worth of drugs, firearms and cash, the Arizona Republic reported.

Symptoms of the lung illness include coughing, trouble breathing, fatigue, weight loss, vomiting and diarrhea.

Officials on Thursday stressed the seriousness of the situation.  

"We at CDC are very concerned about the occurrence of life-threatening illnesses in otherwise healthy people reported from around the country," Schuchat said.

In Wisconsin, state health officials said Thursday they were aware of 48 cases, with another 13 cases under investigation.

There have been a number of proposed vaping bans at the federal, state and local levels around the country.

President Donald Trump and his administration last week announced plans to ban most flavored e-cigarettes.

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Contact Mary Spicuzza at (414) 224-2324 or mary.spicuzza@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @MSpicuzzaMJS or Facebook at facebook.com/mary.spicuzza.