This archive report was first published on 8 November 2019.
As of November 8, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (C.D.C.) has identified vitamin E acetate as a 'very strong culprit' in the vaping-related lung injuries that have affected 2,051 people and resulted in 39 deaths.
Although the agency has pinpointed vitamin E acetate as a potential toxin, it has also left open the possibility that other chemicals or toxins could be causing the severe respiratory ailments.
According to the C.D.C., the identification of vitamin E acetate was based on the analysis of fluid samples taken from the lungs of 29 patients who had the lung disease.
Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the C.D.C., stated, 'For the first time, we have detected a potential toxin of concern, vitamin E acetate, from biological samples from patients.' The samples, she added, 'provided evidence of vitamin E acetate at the primary site of injury in the lungs.'
Additionally, the C.D.C. reported that samples taken from the patients were also tested for plant oils, petroleum distillates like mineral oil, and other potentially harmful substances, which were 'notably not detected.'
Published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the findings highlight the need for further investigation into the causes of vaping-related lung injuries.
