Top signs and symptoms of Valley fever spreading in California

Valley fever cases have been on rise after the outbreak affected at least 19 people who attended Lightning in a Bottle music festival, a six-day event, near Bakersfield in May, according to California Department of Public Health (CDPH).
The lung infection also known as coccidioidomycosis is caused due to breathing in a soil-borne fungus found usually in San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast of California.Most of the people infected by the virus do not develop any symptoms. Around 40% experience respiratory symptoms, while 5%-10% of people with Valley fever develop serious lung complications. Only 1% of people may experience disseminated disease which occurs when the infection spreads to other parts of the body like skin, joints, bones, or brain.
Valley fever isn't contagious and usually doesn't spread from person to person or animal to person and is only contracted via soil.

Valley fever is quite common in California and around 65% of the cases are reported in the Central Valley and Central Coast regions. In California, Valley fever cases have significantly increased in the past decades. Since 2000, the number of cases has increased from less than 1,000 to more than 9,000 cases in 2019, and are continuing to rise.

Around 6 in 10 people infected with Valley fever do not suffer from any symptoms as their immune system can fight the infection well, but those who fall sick report symptoms 1-3 weeks after exposure to the virus. The virus primarily targets lungs and patients may develop pneumonia or other respiratory issues.
Here are some of the common symptoms of Valley fever:
1. Fatigue: Feeling extremely tired or having very little energy to do daily activities. One may feel weakness, brain fog, low mood, tired eyes, tired legs, malaise etc.
2. Fever: People with Valley fever may have flu-like symptoms such as fever, cold, and cough.
3. Night sweats: In certain infections, sweating during night is common. Night sweats is also associated with TB.
4. Shortness of breath (dyspnea): Valley fever affects your lungs and this can cause trouble in breathing.
5. Muscle aches, joint pain, headache: Aches and pains are common during infections and are among the commonly reported symptoms of Valley fever.
6. Erythema nodosum rash: A skin condition that is common in people with Valley fever is Erythema nodosum which may cause red-purple bumps on your skin which could be painful.
People have more chances of contracting the infection in the late summer and fall than other seasons. Those who live, work, or visit in areas where the fungus grows in the soil or is in dust in the air.
Another factor that could cause a spike in these infections could be California wildfires. According to the Lancet, in the months following wildfire smoke exposure, California hospitals witnessed an increase in coccidioidomycosis infections.
Climate change may be leading to the spread of the disease to northwestern states like Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota, says GeoHealth journal.

Another research published in the same journal says dust storms have been on rise in the Southwest by 240% between the 1990s and 2000s, which could be related to around 800% spike in Valley fever cases between the years 2001 and 2011.
Older adults, people who are Black or Filipino, pregnant women, especially in the later stages of pregnancy, those with diabetes, with weakened immune system, cancer, or HIV infection, may be more at risk of Valley Fever than others.
Valley fever has been raising concerns since May when more than 20,000 people attended a music festival held at Buena Vista Lake, held from May 22-27.