As of Sept. 10, 15 people in Maryland have contracted the mysterious vaping-related illness that has afflicted hundreds across the country and left at least six dead.
The Maryland Department of Health said an investigation into the causes of a severe lung illness is currently underway.
Patients show no clear signs of an infectious cause, but each reported the use of a range of devices that deliver vaporized nicotine, THC — which is the primary psychoactive ingredient found in cannabis — or CBD.
There have been no reported deaths from the illness in Maryland, Virginia or D.C.
The Department of Heath said common symptoms of the illness include shortness of breath, chest pain, wheezing, coughing and coughing up blood.
While no direct cause has been established yet, the Maryland Department of Health is currently advising against the use of all vaping devices.
Maryland health officials said the cause has not been tied to “any particular device, substance or brand.”
Some of the THC samples used by patients tested positive for vitamin E acetate, but the Department of Health said that not all samples tested positive for vitamin E and cannot say whether the presence of vitamin E was the cause of any of the reported illnesses.
President Donald Trump announced that his administration would work to ban flavored e-cigarette devices in response to the nationwide epidemic.
On Friday, he seemed to strike a different tone on vaping in a tweet.
