Three-year-old black lab Mocha nearly died from a blastomycosis infection after likely inhaling a fungus from the soil around his home.
The disease known as Valley Fever may spread this fall, specifically impacting residents of and travelers to certain parts of California, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
Valley Fever is caused by a fungus that typically infects the lungs, causing respiratory symptoms such as cough, fever, chest pain and tiredness, CDPH officials said.
FILE — Emily Arellano, second from left, has Valley fever and underwent treatment three days a week at San Joaquin Valley Pulmonary back in 2005.
(Brian Vander Brug/Los Angeles Times / Getty Images)
They added that anyone, including pets, can become infected, with one in 10 people dying in the hospital. In contrast, COVID killed about one of 95 infected individuals, according to the Mayo Clinic.
DOCTORS REMOVE LUNG FROM DOG THAT NEARLY DIED AFTER INHALING FUNGUS FOUND IN SOIL
CDPH noted that the disease-causing fungus thrives in the dirt in parts of California and the Southwest U.S., with most cases of Valley Fever in the Golden State occurring in the Central Valley and Central Coast regions.
Path of fungus to infect a human.
(California Department of Public Health / FOX Weather)
Because of this, they are currently urging Californians and travelers to those areas to be cautious as more people are infected with Valley Fever in the late summer and fall compared to any other time of year.
CDPH said the total number of cases statewide for all of 2023 was 9,000. For 2024, cases of Valley Fever were increasing in the state with more than 5,000 preliminary cases reported by July 1.
Valley fever cases in 2018.
(California Department of Public Health / FOX Weather)
One event that has contributed to the spread of Valley Fever was an outdoor music festival known as Lightning in a Bottle. Held in Central California in late May, the festival had more than 20,000 attendees. CDPH said that by Aug. 21, they counted 19 people with laboratory-confirmed Valley Fever from the festival, along with eight individuals who were hospitalized.
Officials believe the increased risk of Valley Fever this year might be the result of winter rains after several years of drought, more construction and other activities that disturb the soil in high-risk areas, along with more disease recognition, testing and reporting.
Valley fever (also called coccidioidomycosis or “cocci”) is a significant cause of pneumonia, said Dr. Brad Perkins, chief medical officer at Karius, a company that provides advanced diagnostics for infectious diseases.
(CDC / Unsplash / FOX Weather)
In fact, cases have been increasing outside of the usual Central Valley and Central Coast regions, they said. The areas seeing this rise include the northern Central Valley and Southern California.
CDPH officials said the following groups are most at risk of having Valley Fever:
- Individuals who are 60 years old or older.
- Individuals with diabetes or another condition that leaves them immunocompromised.
- Pregnant women.
- Black or Filipino individuals, possibly due to underlying health conditions, health inequities or other predispositions.
“We’re preparing for another possible increase in Valley Fever cases in the coming months, and we want Californians to know the signs and symptoms to detect it early,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón. “If you have a lingering cough and fatigue, please talk to a doctor about Valley Fever, especially if you’ve been outdoors in dusty air in the Central Valley or Central Coast regions.”