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.
