Mecklenburg County partners with CDC to investigate vaping related illnesses

MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — Just one day after the state reported its first vaping related death, the Mecklenburg County Health Department announced it’s partnering with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help investigate similar cases across the country.

“In Mecklenburg County, in the state, in the country we see it going through the roof,” said Health Director Gibbie Harris.

[RELATED: North Carolina hospital reports state's 1st vaping death]

Harris said the department submitted the two Mecklenburg cases to state and federal officials.

But there are cases outside the county, like Andrew Doss, of Mooresville, who said vaping caused a lung collapse.

“If the lung collapse didn’t cure me of wanting to vape, the chest tube definitely did,” Doss told Channel 9.

Logan Dillard, of Fort Mill, said he was rushed to Levine Children's Hospital gasping for air after he put vitamin E oil in his e-cigarette.

“That’s one of the reasons the CDC is having us collect some of the equipment people are using. So, they can test to see if there’s something that’s consistent across all of these cases that may be causing it,” Harris said.

[RELATED: Fort Mill teen suffers severe lung illness reportedly linked to vaping]

There’s a strong focus on studying substances purchased off the street and added ingredients, like vitamin E oil, which is often used to expand THC in e-cigarettes.

THC is the ingredient in marijuana that creates a high.

Experts said once it’s in your lungs, you can’t get it out.

“When you do that you sort of lose control over making sure that it is a product that may be safe,” Harris said.

There’s no timeline on when the CDC could release its findings from the investigation.

The organization said it wants to make sure the data is concrete before it’s released to the public.

Cox Media Group