A middle-age Oregonian died in July from severe lung disease after vaping cannabis, Oregon health officials said Tuesday.

The death is the first in Oregon connected to electronic cigarettes. If confirmed by the federal government, it would be one of just two such deaths nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control announced the first-ever death linked to vaping about two weeks ago.

State health officials said they are investigating the case but released few details of the circumstances or the age, gender and residence of the person who died. They didn’t identify what kind of cannabis product the patient had used.

The Oregon Health Authority’s announcement comes several days after Providence Health and Services said it was investigating a death linked to e-cigarettes. An agency spokesman wouldn’t say if the hospital and the state are investigating the same case.

So far, 215 cases of severe lung disease linked to vaping have been reported in 25 states, alarming health officials with their quick onset and unknown causes.

The Oregon victim had no infectious diseases and had vaped at some point in the three months before hospitalization. The person vaped cannabis products, state health officials said, as did many of those who fell ill in other states.

The disease usually starts with a cough, difficulty breathing and chest pain, said state public health expert Ann Thomas. Some patients also report nausea, fatigue and diarrhea. People will sometimes have such a tough time breathing that they’ll have to get oxygen treatment at a hospital. In extreme cases, patients will get oxygen with the help of a ventilator.

As part of their investigation, state health officials are collecting information that should help the federal government better understand the outbreak. The review includes the victim’s most recent chart notes as well as X-rays and medical history. The agency also hopes to examine any vaping product the victim may have left behind, Thomas said.

The disease is so new that experts don’t have the data to say much about it with confidence.

“It’s still a huge puzzle," Thomas said. "Hopefully we’ll know more in the next few weeks.”

What is certain, though, is that the disease stands out from common lung diseases. It’s most prevalent among young people, Thomas said, a demographic that isn’t particularly prone to lung disease. And it can hit people like a truck.

It can take a few days to a week for a patient to go from a normal, healthy state to being on a ventilator, Thomas said.

“I can’t think of anything that makes people this sick, this fast,” she said.

-- Fedor Zarkhin

fzarkhin@oregonian.com

desk: 503-294-7674|cell: 971-373-2905|@fedorzarkhin

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