WASHINGTON: A third person has died in the United States as a result of severe lung disease linked to vaping, officials said on Friday, in an outbreak that has sickened hundreds and left several teens in induced comas.

The news of the third dea­th was announced by health authorities in Indiana, as investigators in New York said they were now focusing their probe on black market cannabis products containing vitamin E oil.

Federal officials however said that no single substance has been found to be present in all the laboratory samples that are being examined.

In addition to the three deaths announced, “We are aware of one other death that’s under investigation as a possible case,” said Ileana Arias, acting deputy director for non-infectious diseases at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

She added there were now more than 450 possible cases of pulmonary illness associated with vaping, more than double the figure reported last week.

Daniel Fox, a pulmonologist in North Carolina, said that patients he had examined had a type of pneumonia that is non-infectious and called lipoid pneumonia, which “can occur when either oils or lipid containing substances into the lungs.” New York’s health department said laboratory test results showed very high levels of vitamin E oil in cannabis cartridges used by all 34 people in the state who had fallen ill after using e-cigarettes, and as a result was focusing its investigation in that direction.

Vitamin E acetate is a commonly available nutritional supplement taken orally or applied to the skin, but can be harmful when inhaled.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2019