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Virginia Resident Dies From Lung Injury Associated with Vaping

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RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Health officials have confirmed that a Virginia resident has died in North Carolina from a severe lung injury associated with e-cigarette use, or vaping.

The Virginia Department of Health said Tuesday that the death was reported by Cone Health in Greensboro, North Carolina, last Thursday.

Virginia Health Commissioner M. Norman Oliver said in a statement that the person who died was an adult from the southwest region of Virginia. No other details were released.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and state and local health departments are investigating a multistate outbreak of lung injury associated with vaping.  The cause is unknown.

The CDC said there have been more than 800 cases reported from 46 states and one U.S. territory, with 12 deaths confirmed.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.