Valley fever is on the rise in California's Central Valley, as it has been for years, and scientists predict that cases will spread across the American West as the climate crisis makes the landscape drier and hotter.
Kern River County Park
Valley Fever Cases Rises as California Landscape Dries Out
The Central Valley's southernmost county, Kern, has seen a significant increase in the past ten years. It is located directly north of Los Angeles. Around 1,000 cases were reported in the county and 3,000 or more cases were reported in 2021, according to the KVPR report.
In recent years, while the county has expanded testing and knowledge of Valley fever have increased. But there has also been a large increase in the illness, according to Dr. Royce Johnson, the medical director of the Bakersfield-based Valley Fever Institute.
Johnson said, "There's enormously more Valley fever now. I can tell that just from the work." He stated that they believe weather and environment have a major role in most of it.
Fungus that Causes Valley Fever
The fungus that causes the disease, called coccidioidomycosis, grows in the soil as a filament that splits and breaks off when disturbed. It becomes airborne and is capable of moving up to 75 miles. It has even afflicted sea otters. Digging in undisturbed dirt or even just inhaling can expose someone to Valley fever.
According to Morgan Gorris, an earth system scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory who has investigated the connection between the climate crisis and Valley fever, the fungus needs the hot and dry conditions that the US southwest provides to survive.
Gorris said that much of the western US is already extremely dry. According to climate change predictions, it is anticipated that the western half of the US will continue to be rather dry, which will promote Valley fever.
How Can Someone Get Exposed to Valley Fever
Valley fever can strike someone who lives in Long Beach and commutes to the Bay Area with their window rolled down. You can essentially stand on top of it if you're conducting an archaeological dig in the foothills west of Bakersfield.
It is believed that outdoor workers are more vulnerable. In Bakersfield's southeast, seven firemen who responded to fires last summer suffered from respiratory ailments. In a CDC report, three were identified as having Valley fever.
According to Johnson, 40% of persons experience a respiratory infection that has a 1% chance of being more serious. After being exposed to the fungus, the majority of people won't get sick, and of those who do, researchers believe that just a small minority will truly be diagnosed with Valley fever.
The CDC received reports of over 20,000 Valley fever infections in the US in 2019, mostly in Arizona and California, with an average of about 200 deaths per year from 1999 to 2019.
Effects of Climate Change in Increasing Valley Fever Cases
The climate crisis may cause Valley fever to spread to other regions. According to a study published in GeoHealth, in a high greenhouse gas emissions climatic warming scenario, the Valley fever-endemic region grew further north and would have reached the US-Canadian border by 2100.
It is less likely that the disease will spread north under a more moderate scenario with less heat and less emissions. The researcher stated that reducing climate change could lessen Valley fever's negative health impacts.
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