Fourth person dies in vaping-related lung injury in Michigan

Posted: Feb 20, 2020 / 06:02 PM EST / Updated: Feb 20, 2020 / 06:04 PM EST

FILE – In this Aug. 28, 2019, file photo, a man exhales while smoking an e-cigarette in Portland, Maine. Health officials investigating a nationwide outbreak of vaping-related illnesses have, for the first time, listed the vape brands that are most commonly linked to hospitalizations. Most of the nearly 2,300 people who has suffered lung damage were vaping liquids that contain THC, the high-inducing part of marijuana. In a report released Friday, Dec. 6 the government listed the THC-containing products that patients most often said they’d been using, noting that some patients vaped more than one. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)

LANSING, Mich. – A fourth person has died in connection with the outbreak of E-cigarette or vaping associated lung injury, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

MDHHS was notified about the death of an adult female on Feb. 19. No other information about the individual will be released due to confidentiality reasons.

“Although reports of new cases related to this outbreak have decreased in Michigan and across the country, new cases continue to be reported,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, chief medical executive and chief deputy for health for MDHHS in a press release. “We urge Michigan residents to refrain from vaping until a definite source or sources have been identified. Health care providers should remain vigilant in educating their patients about the potential risks associated with vaping and report any cases to their local health department.”

Since August 2019, 73 confirmed and probable vaping-related lung injury cases have been reported in Michigan, including this death. All cases have been reported in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula and most of the individuals have been hospitalized for severe respiratory illness. The age range of the cases is 15-67.