At least 18 deaths and more than 1,000 cases of a mysterious lung illness have been linked with vaping by US health authorities.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said cases were up a quarter from last week.
Doctors have been unable to establish what is causing the illness, whose symptoms include chest pain, fatigue and shortness of breath.
Dr Anne Schuchat from the CDC said the outbreak was expected to continue.
“I cannot stress enough the seriousness of these injuries. This is a critical issue. We need to take steps to prevent additional cases,” Dr Schuchat said.
Vaping-related injuries have been confirmed in 48 states, with deaths in 15 of those. The average age of those who died is nearly 50. The youngest victim was in their 20s and the oldest was in their 70s.
