Valley Fever cases spike across California, most in Kern
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — New data shows that Valley Fever cases are exploding across the state and most are in Kern County. Across the state, there have been over three thousand cases of Valley Fever in the first three months of 2025. That is roughly double the 10-year average.
'We are coming off of the most impactful year of Valley Fever in Kern County with the highest number of cases and the highest number of deaths in 2024,' said Brynn Carrigan, the director of Kern County Public Health.
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Kern's cases in 2024 hit a record of almost 4,000 on the year, and 49 total deaths due to Valley Fever.
This year so far, Kern has seen 906 cases of Valley Fever. That's more than any other county.
'The state is well on it's way to having an even more impactful year than we saw in 2024,' said Carrigan.
Brynn Carrigan is the director at Kern County Public Health. She says there are a multitude of reasons why numbers are way up.
One of the biggest is climate impacts. Drought years, followed by wet years, then drought years again, 'That seems to be the ideal situation for the fungus that causes the Valley Fever infection to grow and spread.'
Carrigan also said with increased awareness of the disease, more testing is being done causing the numbers to increase as well.
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The most affected population are construction workers, landscapers, and any other job that requires breaking ground and working outside.
Carrigan said there are ways to fight it, 'Wet down that soil before you're working in the soil, if it's gonna be windy outside, we would encourage you to wear a mask. If you're gonna be traveling through an area that's endemic to Valley Fever use that recirculation mode in your car.'
Valley Fever can present itself like any other respiratory illness, so Carrigan also recommends getting tested if you experience any symptoms.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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