🦠 Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis)
Valley Fever is a fungal infection caused by two species of Coccidioides fungi (C. immitis and C. posadasii). It is geographically restricted, primarily found in the soil of the southwestern United States (especially Arizona and California) and parts of Central and South America.
Transmission and Symptoms
Transmission: A person contracts Valley Fever by breathing in airborne fungal spores when soil is disturbed (e.g., during construction, gardening, or dust storms). It is not contagious from person-to-person.
Initial Symptoms (Primary Coccidioidomycosis): Approximately 60% of people show no symptoms. For those who do, symptoms often resemble the flu, appearing 1 to 3 weeks after exposure:
Fever
Cough and chest pain
Fatigue (can be severe and long-lasting)
Joint aches and muscle pain
Rash (often erythema nodosum).
Treatment and Complications
Treatment: For most healthy people, the illness is self-limiting, and symptoms resolve on their own within weeks or months ("watchful waiting"). Antifungal medications (like Fluconazole or Amphotericin B) are necessary for severe cases, immunocompromised patients, pregnant women, or if the infection progresses.
Disseminated Disease (Complication): This is the most serious, though rare, complication where the fungus spreads (disseminates) from the lungs to other parts of the body, such as the skin, bones, joints, and the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord (Coccidioidal Meningitis), which can be life-threatening and requires long-term treatment.
