Why health officials say Tracy is an area of concern as Valley fever cases rise
Just two years ago, according to the California Department of Public Health, there were a total of 47 confirmed Valley fever cases in San Joaquin County.
This year? As of Thursday, there are already 246 Valley fever cases – and officials say that number could be underreported.
"My illness started with a headache and it didn't go away," said Robert Purdie, a survivor of Valley fever.
Purdie says he contracted the fungal infection back in 2012 from something as simple as tending to his plants.
"The only time I spent outdoors was gardening or yard work, and that's probably where it came from: Just being outside," he said.
Valley fever, otherwise known as coccidioidomycosis, is a lung infection from a fungus that has entered the airways in the body. It grows underneath the soil.
"When we dig up the dirt or there's a really windy day, we could inhale the dust that contains the spores," said Dr. Maggie Park with San Joaquin County Public Health.
Places like Tracy are areas of top concern. With new homes breaking ground, agriculture nearby and windy conditions, it's the perfect storm for Valley fever to thrive.
Dr. Park is sounding the alarm now, trying to get ahead of the curve as cases rise.
"We saw a really difficult season in the '23 - '24 winter time, but this '24 into '25 season was even worse. It starts to rise in the fall, but really peaks going into the winter," she said.
So far in 2025, San Joaquin County has nearly 250 cases of Valley fever.
Purdie and Dr. Park say, if you feel at all sick and you're not better after a week, consider getting tested for Valley fever.
"It took them six weeks to diagnose me, and at that point, I had meningitis from Valley fever. I spent four weeks in the hospital," Purdie said. "I'm on medication for the rest of my life; this is not something that goes away."
Health officials say the best way to prevent Valley fever is to wear an N95 mask if you're outdoors, especially if you work around a lot of dust and dirt.
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