CLAYTON, Mo. (KMOX) - Nine sick cases from vaping in the region are now being reported by the St. Louis County Health Department.
The county's Acting Health Department Director Spring Schmidt says local doctors and health care providers are tallying the numbers for the Centers for Disease Control.
"The CDC is characterizing these as lung injuries related to vaping. There are some characteristics that they've begun to identify that they're asking people to look for where they're seeing some damaged sections or areas where there may be fatty slightly oily cell tissue."
Schmidt says the nine sick cases occurred "over the past couple of months."
Nationwide, 12 deaths and some 800 sick cases have been reported. Symptoms may include coughing, chest pain and fatigue.
Last week, one person has died from vaping-related illness in the St. Louis area.