U.S. cuts vaping-related illness total under refined case definition

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. health officials on Thursday cut the number of lung illnesses linked to e-cigarettes and vaping products under investigation to 380 as states began assessing patients based on a narrower case definition issued late last month by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The revised total now only includes confirmed and probable cases. The CDC had previously reported it was investigating more than 450 "possible" cases in the multistate-outbreak of the mysterious lung illness.

Six people have died from vaping-related illness, a number that remains unchanged, the CDC said. The deaths were reported in California, ...