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ATLANTA (FOX 5 Atlanta) - The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has activated its Emergency Operations Center to help investigate multiple cases of lung injury possibly connected with the e-cigarette use or vaping.
The center's activation comes after U.S. health officials began investigating what might be causing hundreds of serious breathing illnesses in people who use e-cigarettes and other vaping devices.
In total, officials have identified 380 confirmed and probable cases in 36 states and one territory, including six deaths.
The CDC said it is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to collect information about use of e-cigarettes and vapes among patients and test substances used by those patients.
“CDC has made it a priority to find out what is causing this outbreak of e-cigarette or vaping-related injuries and deaths,” said CDC Director Robert Redfield, M.D. in a statement “Activation of CDC’s Emergency Operations Center allows us to enhance operations and provide additional support to CDC staff working to protect our Nation from this serious health threat.”
Many of the reports of the injuries involve severe, life-threatening illnesses in previously healthy people. Many patients received oxygen. Some needed to be put on breathing machines before they recovered. Antibiotics didn't work, and it's not clear yet whether steroid drugs helped.
No single device, ingredient or additive has been identified in connection to the illnesses and deaths. Most of the patients say they vaped products containing THC, the high-producing ingredient in marijuana. Others say they vaped only nicotine and others say they vaped both THC and nicotine.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.