California may be facing a particularly bad year for valley fever, health officials warn. The warning follows an announcement that several cases of the fungal disease were detected among attendees of a recent outdoor music festival near Bakersfield.
Valley fever, medically known as coccidioidomycosis, is a lung infection caused by Coccidioides, a fungus found in soil. The disease does not spread from person to person. People usually contract the illness by breathing in fungal spores from the environment, which leads to symptoms of cough, fever and shortness of breath. The infection can also cause night sweats, muscle aches and a rash on the upper body or legs.
