Valley fever risk may be high this year, California officials warn in wake of music festival outbreak

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.

Around 5% to 10% of people who catch valley fever develop long-term lung problems, and in about 1% of people who contract it, the infection can spread out of the lungs and affect the skin, bones, joints or brain. In these severe cases, the disease can be deadly. The infection can be treated with antifungal drugs.

Now, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is warning of a "potential increased risk for Valley fever" in the state this year. Many of the state's valley fever cases are reported in the summer, so the department is aiming to raise awareness among the public and health care providers.

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California's dry conditions, combined with heavy rains over the winter, could result in "increasing Valley fever cases in the coming months," Dr. Tomás Aragón, director of the CDPH and the state's public Health officer, said in an Aug. 1 statement. "Individuals with lingering cough and fatigue should talk to a Health care provider about Valley fever, especially if they have been outdoors in dusty air."

Several cases of valley fever were recently flagged among people who Traveled through Kern County to attend an outdoor music festival called Lightning in a Bottle, the CDPH reported in late July. The festival, held in mid-May near Bakersfield, drew more than 20,000 people. So far, the Health department has identified five festival attendees who got valley fever, three of whom were hospitalized.