Iowa Department of Public Health says vaping illnesses up to 43

DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Public Health says number of lung illnesses linked to vaping is now up to forty-three – with 20 new cases were reported within the last month.

Department medical director Caitlin Pedati says the exact cause of the illnesses is still unclear.  “We have not yet identified one single cause to explain all of these illnesses, which is why we continue to want the public to be aware of them and why we continue to ask our healthcare providers to report to us when they’re seeing cases like this,” Pedati says.

Pedati says there may not be one single cause.  “Probably what we’re detecting is probably a range of illnesses that are related to what can happen when people inhale or use a variety of products,” according to Pedati.

The majority of cases have involved vaping products containing T-H-C, the main psychoactive component in marijuana. There have been more than 16-thousand illnesses and 34 deaths linked to vaping reported nationwide. No deaths have been reported in Iowa.