Vaping 'Outbreak' Concerns Health Officials In Illinois
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The health alarms surrounding vaping are growing louder.
There's another death reported, this time in Indiana. And the number of reported illnesses has almost doubled in just a week.
CBS 2's Jeremy Ross spoke to one of the doctors on the front lines of the growing health investigation. She is one of many urging people to consider not using e-cigarettes until they figure out what's causing many of these problems.
The Indiana death, along with one in Illinois and one in Oregon, brings the total to three.
And on Friday, there were reports of at least two other fatalities where e-cigarettes could have played a role. As for the number of those suffering illness, it could be more than 400.
Doctor Jennifer Layden of the Illinois Department of Public Health shared her findings with the CDC earlier today about the numbers of vaping related illness tracked in the state since April.
"We're calling this an outbreak because there are not only cases here in Illinois and Wisconsin but over 25 states nationwide.
Gurnee's Adam Hergenreder is part of that statistic.
"When I first got here, it was like a baby bear was on my chest," Hergenreder said.
He used e-cigarettes for two years before landing in the hospital. His doctor blaming vaping, and more physicians could be doing the same.
Investigators are now looking at more than 450 possible cases of e-cigarette related illness spanning more than 33 states.
"Right now, we haven't seen one common product or one common device that's consistent across all the cases," she said.
The problem, said Layden, are all the variables.
The different vaping devices, products, types of oils and additives making isolating a cause complex. But as more get sick the hope is doctors can learn from their illness.
"Anytime we get those products or devices, we are sending them to the FDA so they can run extensive testing," Layden said.
There is no timetable on when a cause could be determined.
Meantime, the American Vaping Association said adult smokers should not be scared off from using store bought nicotine products.
