Valley Fever: Symptoms, Diagnosis And Treatment Of Valley Fever
Discover the symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment options for Valley Fever. Learn how this fungal infection affects the lungs and how it can be treated effectively.
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Last updated on 3rd Jul, 2025
Valley fever is a fungal infection that affects the lungs. It occurs when the fungus named Coccidioides enters the body. Valley fever is the earliest stage of the Coccidioidies infection, producing no or flu-like symptoms. This disease is also known as coccidioidomycosis. It is mostly found in the Central and Southern states of the USA and Mexico. When the spores become airborne, it infects the people who inhale them. Even though it doesn't transmit from one person to another, it easily outbreaks in areas with dust and dirt. Thus, understanding the causes and risk factors of this disease is important for early diagnosis and prevention.
Epidemiology of Valley Fever
The virus valley fever is endemic to specific areas of the USA. Specifically, it rapidly spread in Southern California and Arizona. It can also be found in some parts of Mexico. Travellers within these areas, including expatriates, long-term residents, adventure tourists, humanitarian aid workers, and people visiting friends and relatives, have the highest risk of exposure. Also, participation in activities such as gardening, community house-building projects, horse riding, military training exercises, and archaeological excavation has the risk of getting infected.
Pathophysiology of Valley Fever
The transmission of valley fever occurs when a person inhales spores of Coccidioides fungi. Like other fungi, this has a complex life cycle. They grow as a mould with long filament-like structures in the soil. When the mould breaks off, airborne spores are further distributed to the soil. When a person inhales, the spores enter their body. These spores are microscopic in nature and easily carried by the wind. Once they enter the lungs, they reproduce, and the disease cycle continues.
Symptoms of Valley Fever
The early symptoms of valley fever include:
Fever
Headache
Tiredness
Chills
Shortness of breath
Muscle soreness and joint aches
Fever
Cough
Severe and chronic manifestations include:
Weight loss
Chest pain
Nodules in the lungs
Blood-tinged sputum
Meningitis
Painful lesions in the spine, skull, or other bones
Diagnosis of Valley Fever
As the symptoms of valley fever are similar to other lung diseases, they are challenging to diagnose. The doctor will first check the medical history and the physical exam reports. If they suspect a valley fever, they will recommend the following tests:
A blood test to determine the immune system to the fungus
Chest X-ray or/and CT scan to detect pneumonia
Sputum samples obtained by bronchoscopy or produced by coughing
Biopsy of the affected area to examine the fungus in the infected tissue
Treatment Options
The treatment of valley fever depends upon the severity of the patient's condition. The doctor might recommend observing the symptoms before prescribing the medications, or they might prefer a treatment that will reduce the risk of serious illness.
The doctor will also prescribe antifungal medications in case a patient has severe illness. Generally, antifungal medicines like itraconazole (Sporanox, Tolsura) or fluconazole (Diflucan) are used to treat valley fever. However, serious infections will be treated with intravenous antifungal medication such as amphotericin B (Ambisome, Abelcet, and others).
Prognosis and Possible Complications
The symptoms of valley fever go away after a few weeks or months, which is a severe case, and less than 1% of people die due to valley fever. Usually, people can get rid of valley fever infections without any long-term effects. However, in some small numbers of cases, valley fever leads to continuous lung infections that may take several years to be cured.
In some rare cases, the fungus can move to other parts of the body, and it is especially dangerous if it spreads to the brain.
Some of the potential long-term effects of valley fever include:
Chronic cough
Chest pain
Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
Coughing up blood (hemoptysis)
Weight loss
Prevention and Control Measures
Here are some tips to reduce the risk of exposure to Coccidioides and risks of getting infections:
Avoid areas like excavation or construction sites as they have dust particles in the air. If individuals cannot avoid the site, then they must wear a fitted N95 respirator.
Stay inside the house during dust storms and close the windows.
Use air filtration measures inside the house.
Avoid the activities that require contact with soils.
Clean the skin injuries with soap and water to prevent any infection.
The workers who have the highest risk of exposure must follow these precautions:
Dig with suitable equipment with the proper enclosure and air-conditioned, HEPA-filtered cabs.
Stop working in the high winds or during dust storms.
Minimise hand digging.
Continuously wet the soil where digging occurs to prevent releasing dust particles in the air.
When possible, stay upwind during digging.
Other public health safety measures include:
Not touching the blood and organs of any dead or sick animals.
Washing the hand immediately with soap after touching an infected animal or individual.
Using personal protective equipment (PPE) while slaughtering animals or in a slaughterhouse within an affected area.
Cooking all the food products from the animals properly before eating.
Using repellent and insecticide-treated bed nets to avoid mosquitoes.
Refraining from outdoor activities during high mosquito activity periods.
Current Research and Advances
There are no licensed vaccines available for treating humans suffering from valley fever. However, researchers are trying to develop one. The phase 2 trial of valley fever medicine has started in Kenya. A team from the University of Oxford and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has developed the Rift Valley fever vaccine. The vaccine was developed on the University of Oxford's ChAdoOx1 vaccine platform and is known as ChAdoOx1 RVF.
The vaccine already showed positive results in the first stage of clinical trials in the UK. The trial proved that the vaccine is safe and well-tolerated. It contains a high level of antibodies that can block viral infections and provide protection against the virus. Also, vaccines can protect against Rift Valley fever in multiple livestock species. So they can be used for both people and livestock. The immune responses were highest in the medium and high-dose vaccines.
Moreover, in the case of treatment, three newer medications, such as posaconazole (Noxafil), isavuconazonium sulfate (Cresemba), and voriconazole (Vfend), will be effective in treating more serious infections.
Conclusion
Valley fever, or coccidioidomycosis, is a fungal infection that is primarily caused by airborne spores when they enter the human body. While this particular illness is not severe, but in some cases it can be fatal as well. Since there are no proven vaccines to combat this disease, preventative measures and antifungal medicines are the way to recover from this condition. So, with the right knowledge and awareness within the communities, it is possible to stop the endemic of valley fever.
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