Valley Fever is a fungal infection caught by inhaling coccidioid spores in desert areas. It affects the lungs and respiratory tract and can spread to other parts of the body. Elderly people, those with immune deficiencies, and pregnant women are at high risk. Symptoms include fatigue, body aches, fever, and a red, bumpy rash.
Valley fever is a fungal infection that damages the lungs and upper respiratory tract. Coccidioidomycosis immitis is the medical name for Valley Fever. Valley fever is caught by inhaling coccidioid spores in desert areas where the fungus grows in the soil.
Valley Fever is found in the southwestern United States and in Central and South America. Those who work with soil breaking up in those areas include farmers, archaeologists, and builders who dig up soil on construction sites. They may be at risk for Valley Fever. Coccidioid spores can blow dust from the ground in the wind and withstand extreme temperatures.
Valley Fever is never transmitted by person-to-person contact, only by inhalation of coccidioid spores. Animals such as dogs, cats, and farm animals also catch valley fever through inhalation of infected spores. Animals may require medication, while humans may not if their body can fight off the fungal infection. However, death is a possibility in cases of Valley Fever if the infection develops into pneumonia or meningitis and no treatment is given.
Although valley fever is a lung and respiratory disease, it can sometimes affect other parts of the body. The spread of Valley Fever to areas outside the respiratory system such as the brain, skin, and bones is referred to as disseminated Valley Fever. Elderly people and those with immune deficiencies are particularly susceptible to the widespread type of Valley Fever. People of Asian, African American and Filipino ancestry are also thought to be in the high risk group for widespread valley fever, as are pregnant women in their last trimester.
It can take up to a month for valley fever symptoms to become apparent. Furthermore, up to 60% of cases, the disease is asymptomatic. Those who experience symptoms of Valley Fever usually complain of fatigue and general symptoms that mimic the flu. People with valley fever may have body aches and fever. About 5 percent of people infected with Valley Fever have a red, bumpy rash on their skin. Any flu-like symptoms can last up to a month.
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