Shortly after a report earlier this week of the first vaping-related death in Louisiana, officials from the Department of Health now say a second person from the state has died from a vaping-related illness.
It's one of more than 47 deaths reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nationwide. Another 2,290 cases of lung injuries associated with e-cigarettes have been reported.
32 cases of vaping-related lung injuries have been reported in Louisiana, in addition to the two deaths.
Two of the patients in Louisiana reported using CBD, seven used nicotine only, eight used a mix of nicotine and THC and 15 used THC only.
The Department of Health does not reveal identifying information about patients, such as residence. However, sources say this latest victim is not from the New Orleans area.
Assistant state health officer Joseph Kanter said earlier this week that the state cannot pinpoint what exactly is causing the illness, but is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to investigate the cases.
"Unfortunately, it’s somewhat to be expected based on what we’re learning from the outbreak across other states. Our outbreak here is very similar to what CDC is describing," said Kanter.
Vitamin E acetate has drawn scrutiny as a potential “chemical of concern” this week after the CDC found the chemical in a small sample of lung fluid from 29 cases spanning 10 states.
But the CDC and the LDH are not ruling out other causes as they continue to investigate.
The Department of Health is urging people to stop using vaping products until there is more evidence about the cause of the illness.