Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever)

What is coccidioidomycosis?

Coccidioidomycosis is a disease caused by a fungus (mold). The fungus lives in the soil of the central valley of California and the deserts of the southwestern US and northwestern Mexico. It usually affects the lungs but can affect other parts of the body as well. It is commonly called cocci or valley fever.

How does it occur?

You can get infected by breathing in the fungus while you are camping, working, or digging in the desert. The fungus can also infect you when it is picked up by desert winds and blown into the area where you live. It cannot be passed from one person to another or through contact with an infected animal.

What are the symptoms?

Over half of all people who have contact with the cocci fungus have no symptoms. Their immune systems fight off the fungus. Others have a mild flulike illness. Symptoms usually begin 1 to 2 weeks after exposure to the fungus.

Possible symptoms include:

• fever
• headache
• cough
• sore throat
• chills
• body aches
• fatigue
• chest pain
• joint pains
• red rash.

How is it diagnosed?

Your health care provider will ask about your symptoms and do a physical exam. He or she may suspect that you have cocci if:

• You live in or have visited places where the fungus is known to thrive.
• Your symptoms last longer or are more severe than the usual symptoms of flu, especially in your lungs.

The lab may test a sample of your blood for evidence of cocci infection. Blood tests are more reliable than skin tests. You may have a chest x-ray if you have a cough or chest pain.

How is it treated?

Most cases do not need to be treated. If you do need treatment, your doctor will probably prescribe pills to kill the fungus. You may need to take the medicine for 1 month to 1 year, depending on your ability to fight off the infection.

In severe cases you may need to go to the hospital for intravenous (IV) or medicines given directly into the spinal canal. You may need these medicines for many months or even years.

What are the complications?

Any part of the body can be infected with cocci. After you have breathed in the fungus, it can spread to other parts of your body. If your bones become infected, you may need surgery to drain the infected area.

The most serious complication is when cocci infects the brain and spinal fluid, causing meningitis. The infection must then be treated with IV and intraspinal medicine for a long time. Meningitis can be fatal.

How can I prevent cocci?

The most important way to try to avoid cocci infection is to protect yourself from the soil. If you are camping, working, or digging in southwestern desert areas, wear a surgical-type mask or bandanna over your mouth and nose to avoid breathing in the fungus.