Illinois health officials said yesterday that a patient who contracted a serious lung disease after vaping has died, which could make it the first death in the United States linked to the smoking alternative that has become popular with teens and young adults.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) said in a news release that the patient, who was between 17 and 38 years old, had been hospitalised after falling ill following vaping, though it didn’t give other information about the person.

On Wednesday, the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention issued a news release in which it said 149 people nationwide had contracted a severe respiratory illness after vaping, but that there hadn’t been any deaths reported as of then.

“The severity of illness people are experiencing is alarming and we must get the word out using e-cigarettes and vaping can be dangerous,” IDPH director Dr Ngozi Ezike said.

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