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Valley fever is a disease caused by a fungus that grows in the Southwestern United states. In drier climates, it is easy to inhale dust and spores from two species of fungi from the coccidioides genus (Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii). Upon the first (and often only) infection, symptoms are minor and can usually resemble that of the flu and eventually clear on their own. However, those with compromised immune systems and animals that contract the disease are more at risk.

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Pacific Crest Trail Association's Map of Valley Fever

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Valley Fever was first detected in San Joaquin Valley in California in 1901. The fungal disease was found in a 19-year-old farmer in Kern County. Similarly, there was a case reported earlier than that in an Argentinian soldier in 1892. It is hypothesized that there was a lot of dust in the air in this region that had coccidioides spores which caused an infection in the lungs. This fungus has evolved the ability to cause opportunistic infections, which makes it such a severe fungal disease (Kern County Public Health).

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Valley Fever spreads through the cocci spores in the dust in the dry desert areas that easily spread in the wind. From California, it spread to other states in the Southwestern US region. The rates of case by case spread have only been tracked by the CDC since 1998 with an unpredictable rate each year. There was a drastic spice of cases in 2011 with 22,634 total cases in the US.

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"A Review of Coccidioides Research, Outstanding Questions in the Field, and Contributions by Women Scientist's" depiction of Coccidioides in the host's body

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Surprisingly, the virulence mechanisms of Valley Fever are unknown for the most part. However, the development of the pathogen is hypothesized to be because of extra amino acid side chains, ammonium, and pigmentation in cells. The infection is initiated by the host inhaling it and then the fungus reacts to the thermal change and acts as a parasite to the host's respiratory system. In most cases, people can easily recover from Valley Fever. On the other hand, the virulence of Valley Fever has allowed it to spread to other parts of the body and infect them. Since the extent of how harmful this disease can be is unpredictable, it cannot be tracked in terms of noticing change over time. It does, however, affect dogs, cats, and primates. This could potentially be evidence for a change in virulence which is the extent to which a disease is harmful to its host and its spread.

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CDC's Visual for Technological Advancements to Treating Valley Fever

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Valley Fever is mostly handled by the use of antifungal drugs. These drugs can range from fluconazole to itraconazole and are usually taken by people who are at higher risk of respiratory issues. These have to be prescribed since Valley Fever cannot be treated with over-the-counter drugs. Fluconazole, for example, was not in commercial use until 1988 which was discovered by Ken Richardson and is now the most commonly used anti-fungal drug for humans. Although there is currently no cure, the University of Arizona is working to research new technologies to eradicate the fungal disease.

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University of Arizona's Valley Fever Collaborative

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One example of how officials in leadership/governments are handling Valley Fever is how the California Government is approaching it. According to the California Department of Public Health, workers are encouraged to report any respiratory issues that last more than a week so that proper precautions can take place as well as a Los Angeles Coccidioidomycosis Management Plan. This Plan was a guideline for employers for people who work in hard labor outside with the dust. The University of Arizona is not a government organization but there is a program that releases public information for more awareness of Valley Fever and also heavily researches the disease. According to the University of Arizona, Valley Fever costs were up to $736 million just in 2019. In the future, it would be great to see more funding for battling Valley Fever and more resources rather than just telling people how to be careful outside.

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Weather Clim Soc.'s analytical workflow to calculate the cost of Valley Fever

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Valley Fever has caused a tremendous effect on the economy. According to Weather Clim Soc., the estimated "annual medical costs, lost income, and economic welfare losses for valley fever in the United States were $400,000 per case" (Gorris, et al., 2021). People have been more cautious in drier areas and have even been more hesitant when traveling to the desert. There is not much of a societal reaction besides learning more ways to treat the disease since most people who catch Valley Fever are asymptomatic.

The most revealing aspect of this disease (Valley Fever) was that 40% of people who catch it are asymptomatic but those who do show symptoms are more heavily affected by it and it can cause permanent respiratory damage. Surprisingly, the University of Arizona is actually making efforts to combat this fungal disease and is one of the leading programs in doing so, with a partnership with other universities and organizations in Arizona. Something interesting that I found that was not part of a Padlet assignment is that there are multiple types of Valley Fever since there are multiple Coccidioides species of fungi.