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Valley Fever cases increase in southern Utah

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  • Valley Fever cases increase in southern Utah

    Source: https://kslnewsradio.com/2095329/val...southern-utah/

    Valley Fever cases increase in southern Utah
    Apr 16, 2024, 11:00 AM

    ​BY BRITT JOHNSON

    Anchor/Reporter

    WASHINGTON COUNTY, Utah — Valley Fever cases are on the rise in southern Utah. The fungal disease spores live in soil in hot, arid climates.

    When soil is stirred up or people have direct contact with it, they can inhale the spores. Outdoor workers are most at risk for contracting Valley Fever.​..

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    Source: https://www.ksl.com/article/50981375...ough-dirt-dust

    Utah researchers collect samples to map spread of respiratory illness through dirt, dust
    By Cassidy Wixom, KSL.com | Posted - April 15, 2024 at 9:38 p.m.​
    SALT LAKE CITY — A team of University of Utah researchers is studying a fungal respiratory infection they say is spreading through the soil and dust in Utah.

    Researchers don't yet know exactly which areas of the state have valley fever, but professor of epidemiology Katharine Walter said the fungus could spread further as the climate changes.

    An interdisciplinary research team including Walter is trying to map where the fungus that causes the disease can survive and where it might spread. The researchers received $375,000 for the Climate and Health Interdisciplinary Award through the Burroughs Wellcome Fund to help fund their fungus hunt and raise awareness for those at risk of infection.

    Valley fever is difficult to track, as the fungus that causes it doesn't spread from person to person. It grows stealthily in the soil but never emerges above the surface. Symptoms of the sickness are similar to those seen in influenza and include fatigue, cough, fever, shortness of breath, headache, night sweats, muscle aches or joint pain and rash on the upper body or legs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

    In 2019, the CDC reported just over 20,000 confirmed cases of the disease, with very few being in New Mexico and Utah.​..
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