37 Coccidioidomycosis
37.1 Epidemiologic Review
37.1.1 Disease Information
Overview: Coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley Fever, is an infection caused by the Coccidioides fungus. This fungus is found in the soil, mainly in the southwestern United States. Coccidioides is endemic to these areas, which means that it is normally and regularly found there.
Symptoms: Common symptoms include chest pain, cough, headache, fever, muscle pain, joint pain and rash.
Transmission: Coccidioides spores are transmitted through dust-producing activities in areas where soil is in areas where the fungus lives in the soil. Exposure occurs when the spores are inhaled. The disease is not spread person-to-person.
Treatment: Treatment consists of antifungals, but mild cases can resolve without treatment.
Prevention Take precautions when traveling to Coccidioides-endemic areas, especially when participating in activities that kick up dust and dirt, such as ATV-riding, 4-wheeling, and digging/excavation. Consider wearing an N-95 mask while participating in these activities or wetting down the soil with water.
37.1.2 Demographics
Rates for <1, 1-4, and 5-17 years of age are not displayed due to low case counts.
Racial and Ethnicity demographic data are not presented due to low counts.
37.1.4 Monthly and Historical Comparisons
Data for Utah and the CDC were retrieved from the CDC’s Notifiable Infectious Disease Data Tables.
37.2 Key Things to Know
- Cases reported travel to endemic states such as California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico.
- Commonly reported symptoms among cases include chest pain, cough, sore throat, fatigue, headache and weight loss.
- Common comorbidities among cases include heart disease, diabetes, and a previous organ transplant, with transplants being the most frequent.
- 6 (15%) cases documented receiving an oral fungal treatment.
- 6 (15 %) cases had a prior history of Coccidioides infection.