The death of a patient from Illinois could be the first in the United States linked to a vaping | WBNS-10TV Columbus, Ohio

CHICAGO (AP) – Health officials in Illinois report what could be the first US death related to a vaping.

In a press release on Friday, the Illinois Department of Public Health announced that a recently deceased person had passed out of hospital due to "a serious respiratory illness" . The agency gave no other information about the patient, including a name or place of residence of the person.

Melaney Arnold, a spokeswoman for the agency, said that this death was the first in the state to be linked to a vaping. The release also states that the number of people who have had a respiratory illness after spraying has doubled to 22 in the past week.

In a press release issued Wednesday, which announced 149 cases of severe pulmonary disease that may be related to a vaping across the country, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that no deaths related to a vaping had been reported.