MJP –
There is an increased likelihood that Valley fever may strike the Central Coast and Valley regions of California this fall, according to the state’s Department of Public Health. Multiple cases of the disease were reported at a May music festival in Kern County, prompting the announcement.
A potentially fatal respiratory infection known as valley fever can be induced by inhaling fungus spores found in soil. Symptoms of this infection include coughing up a fever, chest pain, and trouble breathing. Brain infections, meningitis, or death can result from this disease in its most severe forms.
As per CDPH, 19 individuals were found to have contracted Valley fever following their attendance at the May Lightning in a Bottle music festival close to Bakersfield. We admitted eight of individuals to the hospital. Located on the edge of Buena Vista Lake and bordered by farmland and other open space, the Buena Vista Aquatic Recreational Area played host to the festival.
The number of confirmed cases at the festival has risen since July when SFGATE revealed that three people were hospitalized and five were diagnosed with Valley fever following the event. An audience of around twenty thousand people graced the event.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recorded over 6,000 instances of Valley fever in the state so far this year as of July 31. Since CDPH began publishing data on the disease in 2001, Kern County, the site of Lightning in a Bottle, has had the highest number of Valley fever cases. The county has been the site of around 35% of the reported cases this year.
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Health Alert: Fungal Outbreak at California Festival Fuels Disease Fears
Cases have been documented in areas including the southern part of the state and the northern center Valley, while the majority of cases come from the center sections of the state, according to CDPH.
In light of this rise, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises doctors to investigate whether their patients have recently traveled to regions with a higher incidence of Valley fever or if they have been exposed to outdoor dust while their symptoms have persisted for an extended period.
Farmworkers in California are particularly vulnerable to Valley fever because of the high risk of infection associated with prolonged contact with infected dirt and dust. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CDPH) advises people who are susceptible to dust and wind to cover windows and doors when outside, moisten soil before digging, and wear N95 masks when venturing outside in dusty environments
