Health officials are hunting for the culprit behind vaping-related illnesses. Here are five questions about the outbreak

Health officials are still scrambling to pinpoint the cause of an outbreak of lung illnesses in people who vape — and the wide geographic spread of cases and the vast vape market are making that investigation more challenging.

There have been 380 confirmed and probable cases of the severe breathing illnesses among people who vape, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Six people have died due to the illnesses, which have cropped up in 36 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Those numbers, released late last week, marked a decrease from the 450 cases reported the week prior, when officials were also counting “possible cases” that were still under investigation in their tallies.The CDC says the number of cases is likely to climb as they classify more cases, a thorough process that involves reviewing a patient’s medical records and interviewing their health care providers.

But health officials still haven’t identified why vapers —  the majority of cases are