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(CNN) - Two more people have died from diseases related to vaping in the United States.
On Tuesday, the Florida Department of Health published an updated case count to include a death. On Wednesday, the Georgia Department of Public Health also reported a death.
These two deaths raise the total number across the country to 11.
The person in Georgia had a history of "strong nicotine vaping," but did not report a history of vaping other substances, such as THC, the Georgia Department of Public Health announced Wednesday. So far, the state has identified nine cases of vaping-related diseases, including this death, and other possible cases are being reviewed.
An outbreak across the country
The United States is currently facing a multistate outbreak of lung injury associated with vaping, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (CDC).
Nine other deaths have been identified as part of this outbreak: two in California, two in Kansas and one in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri and Oregon.
Until last week, at least 530 cases of lung injuries associated with the use of electronic cigarettes or vaping products have been reported to the CDC.
New cases are confirmed on a daily basis and the CDC expects the number of vaping-related diseases reported this week to be “hundreds higher than last week,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, deputy principal director of the CDC, during a hearing of the Chamber's Energy and Commerce subcommittee on Wednesday.
The CDC is expected to update the number of diseases on Thursday.
The specific cause of the outbreak is unknown, but all reported cases of lung injury have a history of using electronic cigarettes or vaping. According to the CDC, most patients have reported a history of using electronic cigarette products that contain THC or tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive substance in cannabis. Many patients have reported that they use THC and nicotine. Some have reported the use of electronic cigarette products that contain only nicotine.
The CDC, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), state and local health departments and other clinical and public health partners are investigating the outbreak nationwide.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Toomey urged people on Wednesday to follow the CDC's recommendation not to use electronic cigarettes or other vaping devices while this investigation is underway. course.
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"Without knowing the specific cause of the disease associated with vaping, suspending the use of electronic cigarettes and vaping devices is the best prevention against the disease," according to a department press release.
People who get sick usually develop cough, shortness of breath, nausea, chest pain and some people vomit, have abdominal pain and fever. If you think you are sick and have been vaping, go see a doctor immediately.
What are legislators doing
Some states are taking steps to address this outbreak.
On Wednesday, Rhode Island governor Gina Raimondo signed a decree ordering the state health department to establish “emergency regulations” that prohibit the sale of flavored vaping products in the state.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker on Tuesday called for a four-month temporary ban on the sale of all electronic cigarettes and vaping products in his state in response to the outbreak.
Earlier this month, Michigan banned the sale of flavored electronic cigarettes and New York banned most flavored electronic cigarettes. In June, San Francisco became the first city in the United States to effectively ban all sales of electronic cigarettes.
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On the national front, the FDA has been working on a compliance policy related to the application of pre-marketing authorization requirements for flavored electronic cigarettes, excluding flavored tobacco. The policy is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.
As described, the policy would require that all flavors other than tobacco be removed from the market and then obtain a “premarket authorization” before attempting to return to the market.
Jen Christensen and Jamie Gumbrecht of CNN contributed to this report.
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