Valley Fever

Valley fever is called like that due to the place that it’s was discovered in, and it’s a fungal infection that exists in specific regions only.

Valley fever

Valley fever is a fungal infection that’s causes by two types of fungi, which exist in the soil of specific regions.

Valley fever is the earliest stage of Coccidioides infection, which, in most cases, is a simple condition, yet it can develop and causes serious complications.

Causes and risk factors leading to valley fever

Valley fever occurs when you inhale the spores of the fungi and they enter the lungs, and they’re two types of Coccidioides fungi, and that occurs when moving the soil where these fungi live in (like during constructions), which makes these spores spread in the air.

Some factors that increase the risk of having valley fever:

• Being and working in places where the Coccidioides fungi exist, such as California and Arizona.
• If the immunity is weak, such as having AIDS or taking certain medications.
• Having diabetes.
• Pregnant women in the third trimester.

Symptoms of valley fever

Valley fever doesn’t cause symptoms in many cases, and in the cases where the symptoms appear, they might include:

• Fever and chills.
• Night sweats.
• Headache.
• Shortness of breath.
• Cough.
• Tiredness.
• Muscle and joint pain.
• Erythema nodosum rash, most often in the lower legs, and sometimes in the arms, chest, and back.

Complications of valley fever

In rare cases, valley fever could cause severe complications, such as:

• Pneumonia.
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
• Pleural effusion (fluid or pus buildup in the lungs).
• Hydropneumothorax (ruptured pockets with fluid or air in the lungs).
• The fungi spread out of the lungs, which is an extremely serious condition. The fungi might disseminate in the liver, kidneys, pancreas, skin, joints, muscles, and brain (it causes coccidioidal meningitis, which is a life-threatening condition).

Diagnosis of valley fever

• Blood tests.
• Imaging tests.
• Biopsy.

Treatment of valley fever

The treatment depends on the case, and in a lot of cases the condition wears off on its own, while some other cases might need antifungals.

In case of being in places where these fungi exist, you should follow the following instructions:

• Wear specific masks when working in the soil.
• Close the windows and doors.
• Use air filters.
• Sterilize wounds and injuries well if you had any.