Vaping death toll of 37 is ‘tip of the iceberg’ – as docs warn effects of e-cig lung disease are worse than they feared

THE vaping lung disease which is sweeping the United States has killed 37 people - new figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveal.

Officials yesterday confirmed 1,888 people have developed the illness, dubbed EVALI, in every state but Alaska.

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It comes following a damning new report which says the dozens of deaths linked to e-cigarettes could just be "the tip of the iceberg".

In particular, these numbers likely underestimate the true incidence and prevalence of EVALI due to the lack of understanding there is about e-cigarettes' connection to disease.

Scientists from the University of Texas have also claimed vapes inflict more damage to the lungs than they previously feared.

They pointed to X-rays of an unnamed 24-year-old vaper who had been smoking the devices daily, as well as tobacco and marijuana.

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They say the X-rays highlight the alarming irregularities in his lungs, caused by fats from vaping oils.

In the week before the scan, the patient had been suffering from chest pain, shortness of breath, a fever and a cough.

He had a past history of asthma, adding to concerns e-cigarettes may be especially dangerous for those with the breathing disorder.

A dye injected into his blood vessels showed up large patches of white in his lungs whereas healthy organs would be dark - showing they are clear.

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Tissue samples suggested he had the respiratory illness lipoid pneumonia - a potentially serious disease caused by inflammation of the lungs.

Doctors believe it was triggered by vaping and the man was prescribed steroids.

Experts ominously titled this study, published in the journal Radiology: Cardiothoracic Imaging, 'Electronic Cigarette or Vaping-associated Lung Injury (EVALI): The Tip of the Iceberg.'

Co-author Dr Suhny Abbara, of the University of Texas (UT), said: "The diagnosis of lung injury due to vaping should be a differential possibility in patients presenting with lung abnormalities on radiographs or chest CT images and exposure to e-cigarette products within 90 days of the presentation."

Dr Abbara and co author Dr Fernando Kay, of the department of radiology at UT Southwestern Medical Centre, aim to raise awareness on how to identify lung illnesses caused by vaping.

Dr Abbara added: "It is crucial that radiologists drive some of the initiatives to better understand the mechanisms of disease presentation, facilitating the diagnosis and management of these patients."

Georgia health officials confirmed a third resident had died from the vaping-related illness on Wednesday - just days after a second death was confirmed in Tennessee.

Most of the victims killed by EVALI are male and under the age of 35, with the ages of those who have died ranging from 13 to 75.

There have been three deaths each confirmed in California, Georgia, Indiana and Minnesota and two deaths each in Illinois, Kansas, Oregon and Tennessee.

Meanwhile, one death each has been confirmed in Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington, DC.

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Officials haven't named any of the victims of the epidemic so far and it's unclear where the 13-year-old was from.

Yet investigators still don't know what causes EVALI, which stands for "e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury."

Investigators have pointed to vaping oils containing THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, as being especially risky, but have not yet tied the cases to any specific product or compound.

Doctors have been issued updated guidance, urging them to be especially watchful of patients who may have both a vaping lung injury and an unrelated respiratory infection.