What is Valley Fever, which 19 people contracted after a California music festival?
Valley Fever (Valley fever in English) is gaining momentum in the United States. Recently, 19 people tested positive after attending the “Lightning in a Bottle” music festival in California in late May, reports ABC NewsEight of them were hospitalized following complications.
The respiratory disease is not new, but cases have increased “dramatically in California over the past two decades,” researchers note from the University of California, San Diego, and the University of California, Berkeley in a recent study published in The Lancet Regional Health – Americas.
At least 9,000 cases have been reported in 2023 and more than 5,000 since the start of 2024, according to the state health department. This could be due to increased droughts and rising temperatures.
How is Valley Fever transmitted?
Valley fever, or coccidioidomycosis, is caused by inhaling spores ofa mushroom called Coccidioides. This microscopic fungus grows in arid areas, such as California and Arizona. It is also found in Mexico and parts of South and Central America.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says people with weakened immune systems, diabetics, the elderly and pregnant women are at greatest risk of developing the disease. Pets can also be affected.
To date, there is no evidence of transmission between humans or between animals and humans.
What are the symptoms?
The disease, considered still “relatively rare,” may be underdiagnosed because symptoms can be confused with those of other respiratory infections, including Covid-19The disease is benign in the majority of cases.
Affected individuals may develop symptoms such as cough, fever, headache, fatigue, shortness of breath, or muscle and joint pain. More rarely, in the 5 to 10% of the most severe cases, patients may develop more significant symptoms, affecting the lungs or other parts of the body such as the meninges.
What are the treatments?
Symptoms are likely to appear one to three weeks after exposure to the fungus and can last from a few weeks to a few months. Some people will develop no symptoms, or very mild symptoms, which will go away on their own without medication.
An antifungal medication may be prescribed for people who have a confirmed diagnosis and who have symptoms that are affecting their daily lives. “When people have disseminated infections that are spreading to the joints, bones, and also the brain, more intense antifungal treatments, and potentially other treatments, are needed,” Dr. Daniel Pastula told ABC.
How to protect yourself?
Currently, there is no vaccine to protect against Valley Fever. However, individual prevention measures, such as wearing a mask in high-risk areas, can reduce exposure. With climate change and temperature increases, These areas could increasingly present conditions favorable to the development of Coccidioides fungi.
