Seven more cases of vaping-related lung disease were confirmed last week in Utah, bringing the total number of patients to 42, state health officials said.
As of Monday, Utah health officials were still investigating another 14 potential cases of the mysterious illnesses, identified by doctors as part of nationwide outbreak this summer.
Nationally, health officials have identified 380 confirmed or probable cases of vaping-related illness, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported last week. The cases span 36 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Many patients have become critically ill, and six total deaths have been confirmed in six states: California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota and Oregon.
Before experiencing respiratory distress, patients have reported initially mild symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pain; many also have experienced gastrointestinal problems, including nausea and diarrhea, CDC officials said.
Erin is a reporter who has previously been an outdoor columnist and worked the crime beat. She was the lead reporter on The Tribune's Pulitzer-winning coverage of campus sexual assault. She has worked at newspapers in Michigan and Iowa and taught English for two years at teacher-training colleges in China.