United States: Valley fever, which is also termed as coccidioidomycosis or “cocci,” is being investigated by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the local health departments as it affected several individuals who visited Kern County, California, to attend the outdoor music festival, the Lightning in a Bottle.
The Buena Vista Lake festival took place in May near Bakersfield, California. Approximately 20,000 to 25,000 people, including people from several counties in California and possibly from other states and countries, participated in the carnival, as kymkemp.com reported.
Five tested positive for Valley fever, and three patients who attended the festival were admitted to the hospital. More such cases associated with attendance at the outdoor festival are possible.
More about the valley fever
Valley fever is an infection caused by the Coccidioides fungus, which thrives in soil and dust in some parts of California.
Though most individuals who come into contact with this fungus don’t contract Valley fever, the fungus affects the lungs, producing symptoms similar to flu: cough, shortness of breath, fever, and fatigue.
However, with few exceptions, the fungus that causes Valley fever can spread to different body parts and cause serious disease. Valley fever is a term often used to describe a noninfectious disease, implying that it cannot be transmitted from one individual to another or from an animal to an individual, as kymkemp.com reported.
Previous outbreaks have occurred because people were exposed to dirt around off-road events and other outdoor settings or construction sites where dirt was being moved in regions of Southern California where this illness is more likely to be contracted.
Valley fever is a growing health concern in California, particularly in 2023 and 2024, and it is predominant in the San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast.
CDPH advises anyone who has been in Kern County and is suffering from signs of a respiratory infection that has not begun to heal or is taking longer than usual to do so to see a doctor and inquire about Valley fever.