Health authorities said Wednesday that they are considering issuing recall orders for some humidifier sterilizers on the market after the harmful effects have been proven in the ongoing animal results.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plans to release the final test results as early as in the middle of this month.

In its interim results on Oct. 26, the disease control center had found that a substance in humidifier disinfectant, when inhaled, is 47.3 times more likely to have caused lung diseases.

“We need to wait for the final results. But some abnormal conditions such as difficulty in breathing and weight loss were found in laboratory rats that inhaled the sterilizer,” a health official said in an interview.

“When the biopsy results on their lungs come out, we plan to ban the sales of relevant products and take them off the shelves immediately.”

The official advised citizens to refrain from using humidifier sterilizers until the final report is announced, adding that “different results could be released though.”

Heath authorities, who were investigating the death of four pregnant women who died of a mysterious pulmonary disease early this year, launched the tests on the sterilizer products in September.

On Tuesday, a civic group claimed that a total of 18 people are believed to have died from humidifier sterilizers, calling for an immediate sales ban on the products.

“The very small water particles emitting from the humidifier easily reach deep into the lung. If chemical or other harmful materials are carried by the particles, the damage takes place directly to the lung,” the group said in its press release.

“That is why large hospitals refrain from using humidifiers, though controlling the humidity in the ward is essential in medical care,” it said, calling for the government to disclose its relevant test results in the near future.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)