Thousands of people diagnosed with deadly fungal disease Valley Fever in California as cases soar

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/...sease-Valley-Fever-California-cases-soar.html


Thousands of people diagnosed with deadly fungal disease Valley Fever in California as cases soar

Valley Fever cases increased eight percent from 2017 and 42 percent from 2016
Kern County had the highest number of cases, documenting more than 3,000
The disease is caused by breathing in fungal spores that are found in soil
Symptoms generally disappear after a few weeks but can spread to the brain and skin, causing abscesses and occasionally death

By Mary Kekatos Health Reporter For Dailymail.com and Associated Press
Published: 11:05 EST, 6 February 2019 | Updated: 11:09 EST, 6 February 2019

A life-threatening fungal illness is rapidly spreading throughout central California, health officials say.

The number of Valley Fever cases rose eight percent in 2018 from the previous year - up to more than 8,100 from more than 7,500, according to a report released by the California Department of Public Health last week.

The increase from 2016, when cases totaled around 5,700, was even more shocking - an sharp spike of 42 percent.

Kern County, which is about 133 miles from Los Angeles, was hit the hardest by far, documenting a little more than 3.000 cases - up 23 percent from 2017 and 48 percent from 2016...

 

[Shiloh]

Source: https://www.timesunion.com/bayarea/article/Valley-Fever-cases-in-California-continue-to-13581647.php
Valley Fever cases in California continue to increase
By Ted Andersen Updated 7:00 am EST, Tuesday, February 5, 2019

A potentially deadly illness found in the soil and dusty winds of California's Central Valley is on the rise, state health officials say.

Documented cases of Valley Fever rose 11 percent in 2018 ? a preliminary total of 7,886 cases compared to 7,090 cases for the same period in 2017, according to the California Department of Public Health. Health officials said final data for 2018 will be available in March.

Valley Fever (coccidioidomycosis) is an illness caused by a fungus found in the soil and dirt in the Central Valley. The fungus thrives in areas of low rainfall, high summer temperatures and moderate winter temperatures. The spores are carried by the wind in dust particles when the desert soil is disturbed.

Simply passing through an area with Valley Fever and breathing in a small number of spores can lead to an infection of the lungs with flu-like symptoms. About half of the infections produce no symptoms, but in a few cases, the infection can spread from the lungs to the brain, bones, skin or eyes, causing blindness, skin abscesses, lung failure and, occasionally, death...