3 Houston Teens Hospitalized After E-Cigarette Use

HOUSTON, TX — A lung illness linked to using e-cigarettes that has sickened hundreds across the U.S. and caused at least six deaths has led to the hospitalization of three Houston teens over the past month, the city's health department said.

The city said the hospitalizations fit the profile of current the mulitstate outbreak of severe pulmonary disease.

"This is a very serious outbreak and I urge all parents to check with their children to make sure they are not using e-cigarette products. Adults should also stop using the products," Dr. David Persse, local health authority for the Houston Health Department and EMS medical director, said in a statement. "These illnesses are life-threatening, even for healthy young people who may not regularly use these products."

According to the city's health department, two of the hospitalized teens have been discharged from the hospital.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there have been more than 450 cases of the disease. So far, officials have not identified a specific cause that may be causing the illnesses.

Persse said the department will likely find other cases and there will be new cases till a cause is identified.

The health department said that many patients reported using e-cigarette products with liquids that contain THC, but others have reported only vaping nicotine.

"Federal authorities have urged people not to use e-cigarettes while the investigation is underway," the department said in a press release. "Those who do use the devices should not buy the products on the street or on the internet. E-cigarettes associated with the added products are thought to have been contaminated by chemicals that cause lung damage."