Vaping death toll in the US hits EIGHT as man in his mid-forties in Missouri succumbs to mysterious lung illness linked to e-cigarettes

• Man had normal lung function before taking up vaping in May, health bosses said
• Experienced trouble breathing which gradually worsened and he went to A&E
• Died from acute respiratory distress syndrome after month in Missouri hospital

A man in his forties has become the eighth person in the US to die from smoking e-cigarettes as the number sickened by vaping rises to 500. 

The man, from Missouri, had normal lung function until he started using the devices in May, health officials said.  

He began experiencing trouble breathing which gradually got worse before he was taken to hospital in St Louis on August 22, where he died on Thursday. 

The number of Americans sickened by vaping has surged to 530, an increase of 150 cases in just a week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest figures 

Dr Michael Plisco, critical care pulmonologist at Mercy Hospital in St Louis, said: ‘He started out with shortness of breath and it rapidly progressed and deteriorated, developing into what is called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

‘Once the lungs are injured by vaping, we don’t know how quickly it worsens and if it depends on other risk factors.’

ARDS is a life-threatening condition which means the lungs can’t provide the body’s vital organs with enough oxygen.

It occurs when the lungs become severely inflamed due to an infection or injury. 

It’s believed the latest vape victim succumbed to the same mystery lung illness sweeping the nation, thought to be caused by vaping.

The Missouri man was said to be using the electronic devices to smoke THC – the ingredient in marijuana – for chronic pain.    

Vitamin E acetate is suspected as a possible trigger for the disease – but it’s only been found in THC vapes, which some, but not all of the severely ill patients used. 

This chemical may act like grease in the lungs, damaging the tiny sacs that fill with air. 

The Centers for Disease Control, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and state health officials are still investigating how e-cigarettes may trigger the illnesses.

The CDC said 530 confirmed and probable cases have been reported in 38 states in the US, up from 380 a week ago. 

In the meantime they advise that anyone concerned about these illnesses not vape and cautioning against buying bootleg THC or CBD vape products off the street. 

It is unclear what any of the people who have died were vaping. Illnesses are most common among men, who account for 72 percent of the confirmed cases. 

Vaping-related illnesses have affected Americans of all ages, but are more common in younger people who are not usually prone to lung disease.  

Young adults between 18 and 34 account for a worrying 67 percent of cases and 16 percent of the vaping illness victims are under 18.  

In most, if not, all, of these cases, what begins as shortness of breath and chest pain progresses to coughing, vomiting, fatigue, diarrhea, fever and weightloss. 

Patients with the most severe cases wind up in the hospital with severely damaged lungs that often appear to be infected with pneumonia. 

Sometimes they have to be placed on ventilators, in medically-induced comas, or worse.  

CDC officials said that many but not all of the reported and confirmed cases involved both THC – the psychoactive chemical in marijuana – and nicotine vaping. 

Michigan and New York have enacted bans on flavored e-cigarettes to discourage young people from using the devices. 

The share of high school students using e-cigarettes has more than doubled over the past two years, with 27 percent reporting they had used an e-cigarette in the past month, according to preliminary federal data released last week. 

Canada reported its first case Wednesday, a high school student who was on life support and has since recovered. 

E-CIGARETTE DEATH TOLL RISES TO EIGHT IN JUST A MONTH

FIRST VICTIM

An Illinois man said to be using e-cigarettes to smoke THC died on August 24 after his lungs failed when he developed a mystery lung illness.

SECOND VICTIM 

The second person to die after vaping was a ‘middle-aged’ Oregon resident. 

They were said to have recently started using an e-cigarette containing cannabis oil from a legal dispensary and passed away sometime at the end of August.

THIRD VICTIM 

A third victim in Indiana passed away from the mysterious lung disease in August. 

The patient was described only as ‘elderly’ and little else is known about them. 

FOURTH VICTIM 

The fourth victim, a 65-year-old man, died sometime in August but his death wasn’t confirmed until September 6.

Minnesota officials said the patient had been using the electronic devices to smoke THC.  

FIFTH VICTIM

A 55-year-old man from Los Angeles was the fifth person to lose his life after smoking the e-cigarettes. He died on September 7.

SIXTH VICTIM

A woman in her fifties was the sixth person to succumb to vaping-related illnesses.

The Kansas-born woman, who had a history of health problems, passed away on September 12.  

SEVENTH VICTIM 

A California man became the seventh person to pass away after using the devices. The 40-year-old from Tulare County died on September 17.

EIGHTH VICTIM  

The Missouri man in his forties became the eighth victim to die from vaping.

He had normal lung function until he started using the devices in May.

The victim began experiencing trouble breathing which gradually got worse before he was taken to hospital in St Louis on August 22. He passed away on September 19. 

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