Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever)

Valley Fever can be a serious and sometimes deadly fungus infection. The Valley Fever fungus lives in soil and is spread, via spores, through the air. Spores are hardy forms of the fungus that can live for a long time in harsh environmental conditions such as heat, cold, and drought. Valley Fever usually affects the lungs. When it affects other parts of the body, it is called disseminated Valley Fever. An estimated 50,000 to 100,000 persons develop symptoms of Valley Fever each year in the United States (U.S.), with an estimated 35,000 new infections per year in California alone. It is found in limited areas of the southwestern U.S., Mexico, and parts of Central and South America that meet certain soil and climatic conditions. In California, it is found in many areas of the great Central Valley. Valley Fever is spread through the air. The fungus spores get into the air when construction, natural disasters, or wind disturbs soil contaminated with the Valley Fever fungus. People breathe in the spores and then can get Valley Fever.

At highest risk for Valley Fever are farmers, construction workers, military personnel, archaeologists, and others who engage in activities that disturb the soil in the Central Valley where Valley Fever is common. People with weak immune systems, the elderly, African-Americans, Asians, and women in the third trimester of pregnancy are at increased risk for disseminated disease and can become seriously ill when infected. Anyone can get Valley Fever, but people who engage in activities that disturb the soil contaminated by the fungus are at increased risk. The disease is not spread from person to person. There is no vaccine against Valley Fever. Persons at risk for Valley Fever should avoid exposure to dust and dry soil in areas where Valley Fever is common.