What is Valley Fever?

About Valley Fever:

• Valley Fever, also called coccidioidomycosis, is an infection caused by the fungus Coccidioides. 
• The fungus lives in soil in some areas, including the southwestern United States and south-central Washington, as well as in parts of Mexico as well as Central and South America.
• Transmission:
  • People and animals can get Valley Fever by breathing in spores, generally from dust or disturbed soil, in areas where the fungus is found. 
  • Most people who breathe in spores do not get sick, but some people develop mild or severe forms of the disease. 
  • Valley fever does not generally spread from person to person or from animals to people, with rare exceptions due to organ transplantation or wound contact.
• Symptoms:
  • Most of the time, Valley fever doesn’t cause symptoms or symptoms go away on their own.
  • Rarely, you can have ongoing lung issues or serious illness.
  • Only about 1% of those who are symptomatic go on to develop severe disease. Serious complications include:
  • Pneumonia.
  • Fluid or pus in your lungs (pleural effusion or empyema).
  • Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
  • Ruptured pockets of fluid or air in your lungs (hydropneumothorax).
  • Disease spreads outside of your lungs (disseminated coccidioidomycosis). When coccidioidomycosis spreads to your brain, you can develop coccidioidal meningitis, a life-threatening condition.
• Treatment: Mild cases of valley fever usually resolve on their own. In more-severe cases, doctors treat the infection with antifungal medications.

Q1: What are Fungi?

Fungi, along with Animalia (animals), Plantae (plants), Protista, Archaea/Archaebacteria, and Bacteria or Eubacteria, form the six ‘kingdoms’ of biology. Fungi includes the yeasts, rusts, smuts, mildews, molds, and mushrooms. They are eukaryotic organisms, i.e., their cells contain membrane-bound organelles and clearly defined nuclei. Fungi usually reproduce both sexually and asexually. Fungi are either terrestrial or aquatic, the latter living in freshwater or marine environments. They are found in all temperate and tropical regions of the world where there is sufficient moisture to enable them to grow.

Source: California drought boosts dangerous airborne fungus, valley fever to peak