Valley fever: Why the fungal disease is spreading into Northern California

[Auggie]

August 13 / San Francisco Chronicle

The effects of climate change in California, from harsher heat waves to more volatile rainstorms, are well established. Lesser known is what those crises can help fuel: the northern migration of infectious diseases.

SNIP

Valley fever, a respiratory disease spread by fungal spores that grow in soil, has long been concentrated mostly in the Arizona desert and California’s lower San Joaquin Valley. But a growing body of research suggests the disease is gaining a foothold farther north, driven by warming temperatures and extreme swings in rainfall and drought tied to climate change.

Annual cases of valley fever in California rose from fewer than 1,500 in 2001 to a high of more than 9,000 in 2019, according to the state’s public health department. In 2021, the last year with available data, the state recorded more than 8,000 cases.

SNIP

The Coccidioides fungus, which causes valley fever, spreads when dirt is kicked up by wind or human activities such as farming and construction. People and animals can become infected from just one breath of air containing the fungal spores.

LINK (paywall): https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/climate-change-pushing-valley-fever-northward-18277182.php

Highlights from the link:

• About 60% of people who contract valley fever don’t get sick.

• Flu-like symptoms: coughing, fever, chest pain, etc.

• Valley fever tends to last longer than most viral infections, with symptoms often extending several weeks or months

• In up to 10% of cases, the disease can lead to more serious or long-term lung damage.

• Rare cases can spread to other parts of the body, causing meningitis or even death.

• Nearly half of valley fever cases in the state occur among people who identify as Hispanic or Latino, many of whom hold low-income agricultural jobs where dust exposure is common and access to health care is less so.

• Drought plays a crucial role in spreading valley fever. When a dry spell hits, cases of the disease decline. But in the years immediately following a drought, cases explode to levels well above normal.

• If dusty conditions can’t be avoided, people in high-risk areas should stay indoors or wear a well-fitted N95 mask