Health officials have reported a rise in severe lung injuries that could be linked to vaping in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois, according to CNN.
The Minnesota Department of Health has identified four cases but says it's unclear whether the cases are connected. Some were hospitalized for several weeks and admitted to the intensive care unit. Officials do not yet know exactly which products the patients used, but both nicotine and marijuana products have been reported.
"There are still many unanswered questions, but the health harms emerging from the current epidemic of youth vaping in Minnesota continue to increase," Ruth Lynfield, MD, the health department's medical director and state epidemiologist, said in a statement Aug. 13.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin health officials are investigating 12 confirmed cases and 13 possible cases reported as of Aug. 8. Each patient reported vaping prior to hospitalization, but the exact products used are still unknown. Six young people were also hospitalized for breathing problems after vaping in Illinois, and five more are being investigated by the state as of Aug. 9.