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Time of India
20-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Deadly Valley fever on rise in the US: Why California could see record infections again
A silent threat could be waiting to make a fierce return to California. Valley Fever , a potentially dangerous fungal infection that affects the lungs, is once again on the rise in the US. Early 2025 data shows over 3,100 confirmed cases have already been reported statewide, which is more than the number of infections reported last year. After a record-breaking year, California may be headed for another surge, which has raised concerns among health officials and residents alike. The lung infection is caused by a fungus that grows in western soil, which can lead to severe or even long-term lung problems. It can turn fatal too if not treated on time and if it spreads to the brain. Every year, it leads to thousands of cases in the USA, and hundreds of people die of the infection. What is valley fever Valley fever, or coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection in your lungs that one can contract from breathing in the fungus Coccidioides from the environment. In the earliest stage of a Coccidioides infection, many people don't develop any symptoms or report flu-like symptoms. However, it may progress to more serious stages of coccidioidomycosis. The serious complications of the disease include pneumonia, fluid or pus in your lungs, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and ruptured pockets of fluid or air in your lungs. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch Bitcoin và Ethereum - Không cần ví! IC Markets BẮT ĐẦU NGAY Undo Coccidioides is commonly found in the soil in the southwest US, parts of Washington state, and Central and South America. The infection is most common in California and Arizona. The disease is spread when someone breathes in the spores, although many don't get infected. While the disease isn't contagious, there are outbreaks when there's a lot of dirt and dust. The infection is most common in late summer and fall, and the peak is seen usually in the months of September and November. 'There is no question that the number of cases of coccidioidomycosis is enormously higher than before,' Dr. Royce Johnson, chief of the division of infectious disease and director of the Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical in California, recently told NBC News. 'If you want to see me, right now you'd have to wait until July, and that goes for my colleagues, too.' The bulk of this year's Valley Fever cases have been reported in Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey, and Fresno counties. Kern County, known for its oil production and frequent wildfires, has long been the epicenter of outbreaks. However, new areas are emerging as hotspots. In Contra Costa County, located in the East Bay, cases have more than tripled since 2023. Merced is also experiencing a steady rise, while San Bernardino has already reported 60 more cases than it did last year. 'It appears to be spreading out,' Gail Sondermeyer Cooksey, an epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health, told the outlet. Symptoms of valley fever Fatigue, cough, fever, headache, shortness of breath, night sweats, muscle aches, joint pain and a red rash on the upper body or legs are some of the symptoms. However, around 10 percent would develop serious or long-term problems in their lungs. Around 1 percent may see the infection spread to their skin, bones, joints or brain. Who is at risk People who work outdoors are at risk. Elderly, immunocompromised, and pregnant women are at an increased risk. California's swing from extreme drought to heavy rains has created ideal conditions for Valley Fever. Wet winters help the fungus grow, and dry summers break it into infectious spores. With a hot, dry summer ahead, experts warn the risk of infections may rise. US: Overwhelmed hospital braces for next COVID surge One step to a healthier you—join Times Health+ Yoga and feel the change
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Valley Fever is ready to slam California again with record-breaking cases: Here's what you need to know
California may be facing another record year for Valley fever infections. The lung infections are caused by a fungus that grows in western soil, resulting in serious or long-term lung problems and potentially death if it is not treated and spreads to the brain. It results in thousands of cases every year in the U.S. and hundreds of deaths. The Golden State, where Valley Fever was first discovered, is consistently the state with the most infections. After a record year, early state data shows it's on track for what is looking to be another big one. There are already more than 3,100 confirmed cases across the state. That's more than there were at the same time last year and nearly double the amount in 2023. 'There is no question that the number of cases of coccidioidomycosis is enormously higher than before,' Dr. Royce Johnson, chief of the division of infectious disease and director of the Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical in California, recently told NBC News. 'If you want to see me, right now you'd have to wait until July, and that goes for my colleagues, too.' The majority of this year's cases are in Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey and Fresno counties. A significant oil-producing area, wildfire-stricken Kern has often been the epicenter of outbreaks — but there are new areas of concern. Cases in the East Bay's Contra Costa County have more than tripled since 2023. Merced has also seen cases steadily increase and San Bernardino has seen 60 more than last year. 'It appears to be spreading out,' Gail Sondermeyer Cooksey, an epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health, told the network. Valley Fever, officially called coccidioidomycosis, was first discovered in Southern California's San Joaquin Valley. The lung infection is caused by the fungus Coccidioides that grows in soil in western parts of the U.S., with the majority of cases reported in California and Arizona. Valley Fever is caused by breathing in infectious spores, although some who are exposed are never infected. The spores can be kicked up during wind events, or through agricultural work and construction. While people can get Valley Fever at any time of the year, they are more likely to be infected during late summer and fall. Cases typically peak between September and November, due to a delay from infection to reporting. Symptoms can include fatigue, cough, fever, headache, shortness of breath, night sweats, muscle aches, joint pain and a red rash on the upper body or legs. As many as 10 percent of those who are infected will develop serious or long-term problems in their lungs. Another 1 percent will see it spread to their skin, bones, joints or brain. Those older than 60 are more likely to be infected, as well as people who have weakened immune systems, are pregnant, have diabetes and people who are Black or Filipino. People who work outdoors are also at a higher risk. Researchers have found that cases of the disease spike in California during a shift from drought to heavy rainfall. California specifically has seen rapid shifts from extreme drought to long-lasting atmospheric river events in recent years. Wet winters can provide the ideal conditions for Valley Fever infections, as the summer dries out the land and breaks down the fungus into infectious spores. After flooding and mudslides in March, the state is in for a hot and dry summer, according to federal forecasters. 'As climate change alters the timing and intensity of precipitation in California, we see longer high-risk periods for Coccidioides exposure,' Simon Camponuri, a PhD candidate at U.C. Berkeley, said in a statement.
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Valley Fever is ready to slam California again with record-breaking cases: Here's what you need to know
California may be facing another record year for Valley fever infections. The lung infections are caused by a fungus that grows in western soil, resulting in serious or long-term lung problems and potentially death if it is not treated and spreads to the brain. It results in thousands of cases every year in the U.S. and hundreds of deaths. The Golden State, where Valley Fever was first discovered, is consistently the state with the most infections. After a record year, early state data shows it's on track for what is looking to be another big one. There are already more than 3,100 confirmed cases across the state. That's more than there were at the same time last year and nearly double the amount in 2023. 'There is no question that the number of cases of coccidioidomycosis is enormously higher than before,' Dr. Royce Johnson, chief of the division of infectious disease and director of the Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical in California, recently told NBC News. 'If you want to see me, right now you'd have to wait until July, and that goes for my colleagues, too.' The majority of this year's cases are in Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey and Fresno counties. A significant oil-producing area, wildfire-stricken Kern has often been the epicenter of outbreaks — but there are new areas of concern. Cases in the East Bay's Contra Costa County have more than tripled since 2023. Merced has also seen cases steadily increase and San Bernardino has seen 60 more than last year. 'It appears to be spreading out,' Gail Sondermeyer Cooksey, an epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health, told the network. How do exposures occur? Valley Fever, officially called coccidioidomycosis, was first discovered in Southern California's San Joaquin Valley. The lung infection is caused by the fungus Coccidioides that grows in soil in western parts of the U.S., with the majority of cases reported in California and Arizona. Valley Fever is caused by breathing in infectious spores, although some who are exposed are never infected. The spores can be kicked up during wind events, or through agricultural work and construction. While people can get Valley Fever at any time of the year, they are more likely to be infected during late summer and fall. Cases typically peak between September and November, due to a delay from infection to reporting. What's the concern? Symptoms can include fatigue, cough, fever, headache, shortness of breath, night sweats, muscle aches, joint pain and a red rash on the upper body or legs. As many as 10 percent of those who are infected will develop serious or long-term problems in their lungs. Another 1 percent will see it spread to their skin, bones, joints or brain. Those older than 60 are more likely to be infected, as well as people who have weakened immune systems, are pregnant, have diabetes and people who are Black or Filipino. People who work outdoors are also at a higher risk. The climate connection Researchers have found that cases of the disease spike in California during a shift from drought to heavy rainfall. California specifically has seen rapid shifts from extreme drought to long-lasting atmospheric river events in recent years. Wet winters can provide the ideal conditions for Valley Fever infections, as the summer dries out the land and breaks down the fungus into infectious spores. After flooding and mudslides in March, the state is in for a hot and dry summer, according to federal forecasters. 'As climate change alters the timing and intensity of precipitation in California, we see longer high-risk periods for Coccidioides exposure,' Simon Camponuri, a PhD candidate at U.C. Berkeley, said in a statement.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
California could face another record-breaking year of Valley fever
Brynn Carrigan's headaches started in April 2024. Within a couple of weeks, she was debilitated. Her vomiting exacerbated the excruciating pain in her skull. She spent nearly every hour in bed with the covers pulled over her head, blocking out any sliver of light. Even the clock on her microwave was too much. 'I went from training for a marathon, raising two teenagers and having a job to essentially being bedridden,' said Carrigan, 41, of Bakersfield, California, who works for Kern County Public Health. Her condition continued to get worse and doctors couldn't provide answers — until her third visit to the hospital, when one doctor asked her if she'd had any respiratory symptoms before the headaches started. She had. About a month before the headaches started, Carrigan had what she thought was a typical cold — though she recalled that her cough lingered a bit longer than normal and she went on to develop a rash on her thighs. Both symptoms got better without treatment. These turned out to be key pieces of information. A biopsy of her spinal fluid revealed that Carrigan had coccidioidal meningitis, a rare complication of a fungal infection called Valley fever. 'I knew something was wrong but never in a million years did I think it would be something so serious,' Carrigan said. Valley fever, or coccidioidomycosis, is caused by inhaling coccidioides spores, a type of fungi endemic to the hot, dry climate of the southwestern United States. Climate change is creating drier soils that are inching farther east, expanding the range of the fungi. Valley fever is increasingly being diagnosed outside its usual territory and cases have been rising across the Western U.S. While Arizona still sees the highest number each year, California is closing the gap. From 2000 through 2016, California had 1,500 to 5,500 cases a year. From 2017 through 2023, those numbers jumped to 7,700 to 9,000 annual cases. Preliminary data for 2024 puts the count at more than 12,600 — the highest the state has ever seen and about 3,000 more cases than the previous record, in 2023. Early data shows California is on track for another record-breaking year. Already, the state has logged more than 3,000 confirmed cases of Valley fever statewide, more than there were at the same time last year and nearly double what cases were at this time in 2023. 'There is no question that the number of cases of coccidioidomycosis is enormously higher than before,' said Dr. Royce Johnson, chief of the division of infectious disease and director of the Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical in California. 'If you want to see me, right now you'd have to wait until July, and that goes for my colleagues, too.' Carrigan lives in Kern County, a dry, sprawling region that sits between two mountain ranges at the southern end of California's Central Valley. The county has already recorded at least 900 Valley fever cases so far this year and has been ground zero for the fungal infection in the state for the last three years. But the consistently high cases in places like Kern County are not driving the upward trend in California, said Gail Sondermeyer Cooksey, an epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health. Instead, new hot spots are emerging along the edges of the Central Valley — in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties, along California's central coast. Cases in Contra Costa County, just east of Berkeley, have tripled so far this year compared with the same time in 2023. 'It appears to be spreading out,' Sondermeyer Cooksey said. Many factors likely influence how well coccidioides spores multiply and spread, 'but one thing we have identified as a big driver of those peaks and dips is drought,' she said. A 2022 study in The Lancet Planetary Health found that drought years suppress Valley fever cases, but multiple years of drought followed by a wet winter causes cases to rebound sharply. This shift in weather patterns, which is driven by climate change, appears to largely influence where new Valley fever hot spots emerge. Longer, drier summers can also shift transmission season, when the spores spread, from late summer and early winter to earlier in the year. 'We're seeing wetter wets and drier dries across the Southwest, but California is seeing that to a higher degree,' said Jennifer Head, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan, who studies Valley fever and climate change. In Arizona, new hot spots are popping up in places in the state that have a climate more similar to California's than elsewhere in Arizona. 'The highest increases in Arizona are in the northern plateau regions, which, similar to California, have historically been colder and wetter,' Head said. The climate patterns expanding Valley fever's range in California are the same ones that drive increasingly intense wildfires. Scientists are still trying to understand how fires may worsen Valley fever risk, but some research has shown a link between wildfire smoke and higher rates of diagnoses. Sondermeyer Cooksey said the state health department warned first responders to January's devastating fires in Los Angeles County of the potentially increased risk of Valley fever in the area because of the fires. There have been past outbreaks among wildland firefighters. There's some limited evidence that wildfires may spread the coccidioides spores. In a 2023 study, researchers looked at 19 fires across California and observed higher rates of Valley fever following three of those fires. These fires tended to be larger, located near population centers and burned areas that had high Valley fever transmission prior to the fire. 'It's not entirely clear whether there is a link between wildfires and Valley fever, but what is important to know is that coccidioides live in the dirt and anything that disturbs the dirt can exacerbate Valley fever,' Sondermeyer Cooksey said. 'Fires do that, then we have all of the reconstruction projects that also disturb soil.' Peak Valley fever season hasn't happened yet this year. Because reconstruction efforts are disturbing soil in the burn scar, Sondermeyer Cooksey said state and local public health departments 'are closely tracking the numbers' in areas hit by January's fires. Diagnosing Valley fever is tricky, mostly because its symptoms overlap with other respiratory illnesses including flu, Covid and pneumonia. If someone experiences those symptoms, it's important for them to let their doctor know if they've been around disturbed soil or dust — in a construction zone, camping, hiking, working outside or at a festival — or in an area known to have Valley fever, Sondermeyer Cooksey said. Symptoms typically show up one to three weeks after exposure, but it can take as long as eight weeks, so people may not make an immediate connection, Head, of the University of Michigan, said. Last year, at least 19 people who attended the Lightning in a Bottle music festival — which is being held in Kern County again this month — were diagnosed with Valley fever later in the summer. At least eight were hospitalized. 'Lightning in a Bottle is right in the middle of the endemic region, that's one of the hot spots for the disease,' said Dr. George Thompson, director of the Center for Valley Fever at the University of California, Davis, adding that the vast majority of people who attend will not get an infection, but people who aren't from an endemic area may be at higher risk. Thompson said it's clear that he and his colleagues across the state are treating more patients for the infection. Only about 1% of cases result in life-threatening meningitis or other complications, as Carrigan's did, but once a person is infected, they never clear the fungus from their body. 'There is no drug that kills cocci, so what keeps you from being ill is your immune response,' Johnson, of Kern Medical, said. To treat the infection, people are given antifungals 'long enough for a person's immune system to figure out how to control it. If you then do something to disrupt that immunity, it can start growing again, and that can surface years later,' he said. Carrigan spent the last year on an intense regimen of anti-fungal treatments. During the first few months, she lost most of her hair and eyelashes and barely recognized herself in the mirror. She's now made a full recovery and even ran a marathon this spring, but she still takes anti-fungal medication. Carrigan said she wants more people to understand both the warning signs of Valley fever and the importance of telling their doctor if they've been somewhere with cases, which could help people get a faster diagnosis. 'Even if it's only 1% of cases, as we see cases increase, the number of people who experience complications is going to rise, too,' she said. This article was originally published on
NBC News
20-05-2025
- Health
- NBC News
California could face another record-breaking year of Valley fever fungal infection
Brynn Carrigan's headaches started in April 2024. Within a couple of weeks, she was debilitated. Her vomiting exacerbated the excruciating pain in her skull. She spent nearly every hour in bed with the covers pulled over her head, blocking out any sliver of light. Even the clock on her microwave was too much. 'I went from training for a marathon, raising two teenagers and having a job to essentially being bedridden,' said Carrigan, 41, of Bakersfield, California, who works for Kern County Public Health. Her condition continued to get worse and doctors couldn't provide answers — until her third visit to the hospital, when one doctor asked her if she'd had any respiratory symptoms before the headaches started. She had. About a month before the headaches started, Carrigan had what she thought was a typical cold — though she recalled that her cough lingered a bit longer than normal and she went on to develop a rash on her thighs. Both symptoms got better without treatment. These turned out to be key pieces of information. A biopsy of her spinal fluid revealed that Carrigan had coccidioidal meningitis, a rare complication of a fungal infection called Valley fever. 'I knew something was wrong but never in a million years did I think it would be something so serious,' Carrigan said. Valley fever, or coccidioidomycosis, is caused by inhaling coccidioides spores, a type of fungi endemic to the hot, dry climate of the southwestern United States. Climate change is creating drier soils that are inching farther east, expanding the range of the fungi. Valley fever is increasingly being diagnosed outside its usual territory and cases have been rising across the Western U.S. While Arizona still sees the highest number each year, California is closing the gap. From 2000 through 2016, California had 1,500 to 5,500 cases a year. From 2017 through 2023, those numbers jumped to 7,700 to 9,000 annual cases. Preliminary data for 2024 puts the count at more than 12,600 — the highest the state has ever seen and about 3,000 more cases than the previous record, in 2023. Early data shows California is on track for another record-breaking year. Already, the state has logged more than 3,000 confirmed cases of Valley fever statewide, more than there were at the same time last year and nearly double what cases were at this time in 2023. 'There is no question that the number of cases of coccidioidomycosis is enormously higher than before,' said Dr. Royce Johnson, chief of the division of infectious disease and director of the Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical in California. 'If you want to see me, right now you'd have to wait until July, and that goes for my colleagues, too.' Drought cycles driving spread Carrigan lives in Kern County, a dry, sprawling region that sits between two mountain ranges at the southern end of California's Central Valley. The county has already recorded at least 900 Valley fever cases so far this year and has been ground zero for the fungal infection in the state for the last three years. But the consistently high cases in places like Kern County are not driving the upward trend in California, said Gail Sondermeyer Cooksey, an epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health. Instead, new hot spots are emerging along the edges of the Central Valley — in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties, along California's central coast. Cases in Contra Costa County, just east of Berkeley, have tripled so far this year compared with the same time in 2023. 'It appears to be spreading out,' Sondermeyer Cooksey said. Many factors likely influence how well coccidioides spores multiply and spread, 'but one thing we have identified as a big driver of those peaks and dips is drought,' she said. A 2022 study in The Lancet Planetary Health found that drought years suppress Valley fever cases, but multiple years of drought followed by a wet winter causes cases to rebound sharply. This shift in weather patterns, which is driven by climate change, appears to largely influence where new Valley fever hot spots emerge. Longer, drier summers can also shift transmission season, when the spores spread, from late summer and early winter to earlier in the year. 'We're seeing wetter wets and drier dries across the Southwest, but California is seeing that to a higher degree,' said Jennifer Head, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan, who studies Valley fever and climate change. In Arizona, new hot spots are popping up in places in the state that have a climate more similar to California's than elsewhere in Arizona. 'The highest increases in Arizona are in the northern plateau regions, which, similar to California, have historically been colder and wetter,' Head said. Closely tracking Los Angeles The climate patterns expanding Valley fever's range in California are the same ones that drive increasingly intense wildfires. Scientists are still trying to understand how fires may worsen Valley fever risk, but some research has shown a link between wildfire smoke and higher rates of diagnoses. Sondermeyer Cooksey said the state health department warned first responders to January's devastating fires in Los Angeles County of the potentially increased risk of Valley fever in the area because of the fires. There have been past outbreaks among wildland firefighters. There's some limited evidence that wildfires may spread the coccidioides spores. In a 2023 study, researchers looked at 19 fires across California and observed higher rates of Valley fever following three of those fires. These fires tended to be larger, located near population centers and burned areas that had high Valley fever transmission prior to the fire. 'It's not entirely clear whether there is a link between wildfires and Valley fever, but what is important to know is that coccidioides live in the dirt and anything that disturbs the dirt can exacerbate Valley fever,' Sondermeyer Cooksey said. 'Fires do that, then we have all of the reconstruction projects that also disturb soil.' Peak Valley fever season hasn't happened yet this year. Because reconstruction efforts are disturbing soil in the burn scar, Sondermeyer Cooksey said state and local public health departments 'are closely tracking the numbers' in areas hit by January's fires. Cases after Lightning in a Bottle festival Diagnosing Valley fever is tricky, mostly because its symptoms overlap with other respiratory illnesses including flu, Covid and pneumonia. If someone experiences those symptoms, it's important for them to let their doctor know if they've been around disturbed soil or dust — in a construction zone, camping, hiking, working outside or at a festival — or in an area known to have Valley fever, Sondermeyer Cooksey said. Symptoms typically show up one to three weeks after exposure, but it can take as long as eight weeks, so people may not make an immediate connection, Head, of the University of Michigan, said. Last year, at least 19 people who attended the Lightning in a Bottle music festival — which is being held in Kern County again this month — were diagnosed with Valley fever later in the summer. At least eight were hospitalized. 'Lightning in a Bottle is right in the middle of the endemic region, that's one of the hot spots for the disease,' said Dr. George Thompson, director of the Center for Valley Fever at the University of California, Davis, adding that the vast majority of people who attend will not get an infection, but people who aren't from an endemic area may be at higher risk. Thompson said it's clear that he and his colleagues across the state are treating more patients for the infection. Only about 1% of cases result in life-threatening meningitis or other complications, as Carrigan's did, but once a person is infected, they never clear the fungus from their body. 'There is no drug that kills cocci, so what keeps you from being ill is your immune response,' Johnson, of Kern Medical, said. To treat the infection, people are given antifungals 'long enough for a person's immune system to figure out how to control it. If you then do something to disrupt that immunity, it can start growing again, and that can surface years later,' he said. Carrigan spent the last year on an intense regimen of anti-fungal treatments. During the first few months, she lost most of her hair and eyelashes and barely recognized herself in the mirror. She's now made a full recovery and even ran a marathon this spring, but she still takes anti-fungal medication. Carrigan said she wants more people to understand both the warning signs of Valley fever and the importance of telling their doctor if they've been somewhere with cases, which could help people get a faster diagnosis.
