First death in US possibly tied to vaping

India proposes ban on e-cigarettes People may have been exposed to disease

In this April 10, 2018 photo, Marshfield High School Principal Robert Keuther displays vaping devices that were confiscated from students in such places

as restrooms or hallways at the school in Marshfield, Mass. (AP)

CHICAGO, Aug 24, (Agencies): Health officials said Friday that an Illinois patient who contracted a serious lung disease after vaping has died and that they consider it the first death in the United States linked to the smoking alternative that has become popular with teens and young adults.

The Illinois Department of Public Health the adult patient was hospitalized after falling ill following vaping, though it didn’t give other information about the person, including the patient’s name, age, hometown or date of death.

The state received the report of the death Thursday, said Dr Jennifer Layden, the Illinois agency’s chief medical officer.

Respiratory

Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday that 193 people in 22 states have contracted severe respiratory illnesses after vaping. However, they said a clear-cut common cause of the illnesses hasn’t been identified and that they are being called “potential cases” that are still under investigation.

All of the sickened have been teens or adults who had used an electronic cigarette or some other kind of vaping device. Doctors say the illnesses resemble an inhalation injury, with the lungs apparently reacting to a caustic substance. So far, infectious diseases have been ruled out.

The illnesses have been reported since late June, but the total count has risen quickly in the past week. That may be partly because cases that weren’t initially being linked to vaping have begun to be grouped that way.

Among the newest reports are two in Connecticut, four in Iowa and six in Ohio. Health officials are asking doctors and hospitals to tell state health officials about any possible vaping-related lung disease cases they encounter.

In its news release, the Illinois agency said the number of people who contracted a respiratory illness after vaping had doubled in the past week, to 22.

“The severity of illness people are SANTA ANA, Calif, Aug 24, (AP): A New Zealand teenager who visited Disneyland and other Southern California tourist spots last week brought along more than just her luggage. She brought measles.

Public health officials in Los Angeles and Orange counties issued a warning Friday that people may have been exposed to the disease if they were at Disneyland or the Disney California Adventure Park on Aug 12.

The girl had measles when she arrived at Los Angeles International Airport on Aug 11 and went to the Desert Palms Hotel in Anaheim, officials said.

After Disneyland, she is believed to have gone to Universal Studios, the TCL Chinese Theatre and Madame Tussauds in Hollywood, and the Santa Monica beach and pier on Aug 14-15, authorities said.

The girl has since returned to New Zealand, said Dr Nichole Quick, Orange County’s health care officer.

The California Department of Public Health said it wasn’t aware

experiencing is alarming and we must get the word out that using e-cigarettes and vaping can be dangerous,” IDPH Director Dr Ngozi Ezike said in the release.

Electronic cigarettes have been described as a less dangerous alternative to regular cigarettes, but health officials have been worried about kids using them. Most of the concern has focused on nicotine, which health officials say is harmful to developing brains and might make kids more likely to take up cigarettes.

But some vaping products have been found to contain other potentially harmful substances, including flavoring

of any measles cases resulting from exposure to the traveler but is continuing to investigate.

However, local health agencies said it can take up to 21 days after exposure for symptoms, such as fever and rash, to appear.

“Measles is spread by air and by direct contact even before you know have it,” said Dr Muntu Davis, Los Angeles County’s health officer.

Quick urged anyone who has symptoms to call a health care provider before going to the doctor to avoid additional exposures. People are also urged to check their records to determine if they have been vaccinated or previously had measles.

Quick said she expects to see more measles cases, generally, among international travelers who visit California because of an increase in the illness overseas.

“We’re in general concerned with the outbreaks going on in places in this country as well as internationally,” she said.

Measles cases are rising around the world. The number of cases

chemicals and oils used for vaping marijuana, experts say.

NEW DELHI:

Also:

India’s health ministry has proposed a ban on the production and import of electronic cigarettes, documents seen by Reuters showed, potentially jeopardizing the expansion plans of big firms like Juul Labs and Philip Morris International.

The ministry has proposed that the government issue an executive order banning the devices in the public interest, saying it was needed to ensure ecigarettes don’t become an “epidemic” among children and young adults.

nearly tripled globally during the first seven months of the year compared with the same period in 2018, the World Health Organization reported this month.

New Zealand – and the United States – are dealing with their worst outbreaks in decades.

Disneyland officials on Friday said no employees at the theme park were reported to have contracted the illness. Dr Pamela Hymel, Disneyland’s chief medical officer, said in a statement that health officials said the risk to employees and visitors “is likely low.”

“We maintain rigorous sanitation standards to protect guests and cast, and earlier this year we strengthened our immunization program and educational resources for cast members,” the statement said.

Disneyland and adjacent Disney California Adventure Park are major tourist destinations, drawing tens of thousands of visitors a day.

In 2015, a measles outbreak involving Disneyland sickened 147 people and spread across the US and into Canada.

“E-cigarettes and similar technologies that encourage tobacco use or adversely impact public health are hazardous for an active as well as passive user,” the health ministry said in an internal note seen by Reuters that the federal cabinet is expected to consider.

Health officials are proposing jail terms of up to three years, with a penalty of up to 500,000 rupees ($7,000), for repeat offenders against the new rules, according to a draft of the executive order.

First-time offenders would face a prison term of up to one year and a fine of 100,000 rupees.