CDC provides update on e-cigarette illnesses

Thirty-three states and the U.S. Virgin Islands have reported more than 450 possible cases of lung illness associated with using e-cigarette products, including five deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Friday. CDC and the Food and Drug Administration are working with states to identify the cause, which is likely an unknown chemical. Many of the patients report using e-cigarette products with liquids that contain cannabinoid products, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). CDC continues to encourage clinicians to report possible cases of e-cigarette-associated pulmonary disease to their local or state health department, and the public not to use e-cigarettes until investigators identify a specific cause. For more on specific cases, see the Sept. 6 report and guidance by CDC and New England Journal of Medicine article.