New vape warning after scientists make horror discovery about germ risks

Scientistshave made a new horror discovery which brings claims that vaping is safer than cigarettes into question.

A University of Florida study has found mouthpieces attached to the devices are a breeding ground for harmful fungi. Their enclosed design paired with being heated up repeatedly makes the devices particularly at risk to colonisation.

The study - which inspected a batch of disposable vapes - found that very few harboured bacteria, but more than 50 per cent were "abundantly colonised" with the fungi. Eighty per cent of the types of fungi found could cause ill health.

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Some of the most worrying findings included the discovery of pathogens which could cause lung diseases like bronchitis.

Cystobasidium minutum, which can infect the blood of individuals with weakened immune system, is the most common of these species.

Vaping is generally hailed as a safer alternative to smoking tobacco, which is known to directly cause horrific conditions like lung cancer and COPD.

However, in comparison to smoking, vaping has only been around for a few years and research is still in its infancy.

Up until now, scientists have focused on the toxicity of the liquids and the impact on lung tissue rather than microbes that could be infesting the devices before inhalation.

Researchers took the disposable devices of 25 individuals who use them on a daily basis. They took samples and then cultured them, which allowed them to identify the microbes on a petri dish. They also compared the samples to cultures taken from the participants' mouths, which proved they hadn't come from them.

Most of the 35 different types of fungi found have the capability of causing different illnesses ranging in severity.

It's thought the fungi could come from the air, our hands, or other objects people touch on a daily basis. However, they could have come from the vape liquids at time of purchase.

Speaking to the New Scientist, co-author Dr Jason Smith, of the Emerging Pathogens Institute, said: "The residues left behind inside the vape device may provide a food source for moulds to grow."

The researchers have argued that the contamination contributes to the development of COPD, which causes breathing difficulties, shortness of breath and a chesty cough that won't shake.

Vapers are being urged to clean their mouthpieces on a regular basis as a way of combating the buildup of fungi.

The scientists did stress that current research is not robust enough to suggest these fungi are found in high enough to cause illness.