A potentially terrifying disease has been on the rise in California lately. Experts have recently issued a warning over the surge of a fungal infection with the potential to be deadly. Find out why California's valley fever is spiking and what you should know about it.
Experts Reveal Why California's Valley Fever Is Spiking
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With cases on the rise, people want to understand why valley fever is spiking in California. The state reported 6,761 cases of the fungal infection so far this year. Meaning they are on track to top last year's record of 12,595 — not exactly a record you want to beat. Additionally, the NY Post shares that "Valley fever now results in around 80 deaths and over 1,000 hospitalizations annually in California." So, what is causing the sudden uptick in numbers? Shaun Yang, the director for molecular microbiology and pathogen genomics at the UCLA Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, thinks he has the answer.
Yang claims that the mild and wet winters are to blame for the surge in cases. When speaking to SFFGATE, he claimed, "This kind of very wet and dry pattern definitely is perfect for this fungus to grow." Additionally, it doesn't help that climate change has affected the amount of drought and rainfall in California. Yang argues that those sudden changes are a big reason for the spike in cases as well. In fact, he argues that "climate change is the main reason to explain this type of dramatic explosion." During the dry weather, the spores spread as dust. They can spread through construction work, agriculture, or even plain old wind.
What You Need To Know
Before you panic, here is all that you need to know about valley fever and how to handle its current spiking numbers. First, you need to gain a better understanding of the disease. Two Coccidioides fungi species cause valley fever — Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii. Also, California is not the only place affected by this infection. Cases have been reported in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, Texas, and Washington. It has also been found in northern Mexico and Central and South America. You become exposed to this infection by breathing in the spores that are floating in the air. While many people may not even know they have the disease, if the initial infection does not fully resolve on its own, it could lead to issues such as pneumonia or disseminated coccidioidomycosis.
Disseminated coccidioidomycosis is a feared condition because it occurs when the infection spreads from the lungs to other parts of the body. Those parts can include your bones, joints, and, alarmingly, your brain. Yang shared that when children get this disease, that is something that happens a lot. He shared, "When children get this kind of very severe [Valley fever,] it's very devastating." Explaning that it can spread to bones in children more easily and warning that children affected by this infection "are not going to live normally."
No Need To Panic
However, for adults, it is often less severe. Most cases result in a mild illness, and individuals may even be asymptomatic. For others, it can feel like a common case of the flu. You may experience things such as headache, fever, fatigue, cough, joint pain, and a myriad of other common flu symptoms. The key here is early detection. The NY Post shares that experts urge you to "seek medical help if you experience flu-like symptoms that last over a week and have traveled or live in an area where valley fever is common." Blood tests are the fastest way to test if you have been exposed.
The good news is that most cases will resolve on their own without treatment. For those who do not, anti-fungal drugs may be prescribed. Finally, for those with severe infection, hospitalization will be required. Additionally, the disease is not contagious and can not be spread from one person to another. So while the valley fever numbers are spiking, there is no need to panic. Just be aware of your surroundings and monitor your health.
