FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Cases of valley fever are rising in Tulare County.
Valley Fever is a fungal infection caused by breathing the coccidioides organism, a fungus, into the lungs, where the spores reproduce. Fungi spores are commonly found in soil and grow as a mold with long filaments that break off into airborne spores.
Anything that disrupts the dry soil, such as gardening, farming, construction, and the wind can stir the spores into the air.
Dry weather conditions and blowing dust may be contributing to the increase and cases often increase in August and throughout the autumn months.
According to California Department of Public Health, Valley Fever numbers in Tulare County increased to 275 confirmed cases, a continuing increase from an average of 123 cases annually for 2011–2015 and 212 confirmed cases in 2016—a 96.7% increase over the previous average. The 2017 number is an increase of 14.6% over the 2016 cases and a 125% increase over the 2011–2015 average.
Symptoms of Valley Fever include fever, chest pain and coughing that mimics pneumonia, fatigue, chills, night sweats, joint aches, and a red spotty rash, mostly on the lower legs. If the initial infection does not completely resolve, it can progress to a chronic form of pneumonia that includes weight loss, cough with chest pain, nodules in the lungs, and blood-tinged sputum. In a severe infection, the disease can spread to other parts of the body. If you have the symptoms contact your primary care physician right away or visit one of Tulare County’s local clinics. They may order a blood test, a chest x-ray, or other tests to help diagnose Valley Fever. Mild cases of Valley Fever can go unnoticed and may resolve on their own. For severe cases, medications are needed to treat the underlying infection. Individuals over 60 years of age, those with weakened immune systems, women who are pregnant, and African American, Filipino, Native American, or Hispanic individuals are at greater risk.
To reduce your risk of getting Valley Fever, stay inside when it is windy outside and the air is dusty, especially during dust storms. In dusty conditions, use the “recirculating” option for your vehicle air conditioning and keep windows closed. If you must be outside in dusty air, wear an N95 mask or respirator, if your doctor says it is safe for you to do so. N95 masks are available at drug and hardware stores—the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention instruction video can assist with proper fitting (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0d_RaKdqeck&feature=player_embeddedd).
Other options that can reduce your risk include wetting down soil before gardening or other soil-disturbing activities to reduce dust and covering open dirt areas around your home with grass, plants, or other ground cover. Wash clothing immediately after working or playing in dusty soil. Access to air monitoring data is available at http://www.valleyair.org/Programs/RAAN/raan_monitoring_system.htm.
August is Valley Fever Awareness Month and you can get more information about Valley Fever by visiting the California Department of Public Health’s Valley Fever website (http://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Coccidioidomycosis.aspx) and the CDC’s Valley Fever website (http://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/coccidioidomycosis/index.html).
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