While health officials hunt for answers, one leading theory points to a bad ingredient in vaping liquids, perhaps Vitamin E, sold on the street. But some physicians suspect the epidemic has always been there, unnoticed until now. And for others, the culprit might be the online world of dubious home-brew recipes for getting a better high while vaping.
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On Friday, federal health officials announced the number of possible severe lung illness cases tied to vaping liquids had more than doubled to encompass more than 450 people in 33 states and the Virgin Islands. The outbreak is characterized by severe pneumonia symptoms, shortness of breath, coughing, fever, fatigue, and respiratory failure — sometimes severe enough to require artificial respiration — and has so far affected mostly young people. The reports all started from a handful of cases in two states, Wisconsin and Illinois, announced at the end of July. Five people have died.
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On Thursday, the New York State health department announced that Vitamin E acetate, an oily chemical found in some foods and lotion, was “now a key focus” of its investigation into the 34 cases in its state, after it turned up in at least one vape product inhaled by each patient.
The FDA’s Zeller pushed back against that conclusion a day later, suggesting that multiple chemicals found in vaping liquids were under investigation. But red herring or not, the finding solidified the leading theory about what is going on: A culprit chemical added to THC-containing vaping liquids that triggers an inflammatory response in the lungs, leading to scarring and other symptoms.
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