Valley fever. It’s not just an absurd love of living here.
Ask people what they know about the respiratory illness and their answers will run the gamut. To some, it’s Arizona’s version of the common cold and nothing to worry about. To others, it’s the equivalent of a death sentence and a subject of great anxiety. Peruse Reddit and you’ll see questions posted every few months from someone who was recently diagnosed with it, or someone worried about catching it.
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“With all the Haboobs/dust storms going on, should we be concerned about valley fever?” asked one Reddit user last week. “Should we avoid being outside at all costs? If we do have to be outside what are some ways to protect ourselfs?”
So what is this mysterious desert disease and how worried should you really be? Phoenix New Times spoke to Dr. John Galgiani, the founder of the Valley Fever Center for Excellence at the University of Arizona, to find the answers.
What is valley fever?
Valley fever is a fungal infection specific to desert regions. Its official name is coccidioidomycosis — say that five times fast — after the genus of fungus that causes it, coccidioides. The fungus is endemic in arid climates like the Sonoran Desert. But we’re not the only lucky ones. It also grows in California, Texas, South America and other parts of the Western Hemisphere.
You get valley fever by breathing in fungal spores. The fungi grow in the dirt, the dirt gets dry, it gets carried into the air and the spores go along for the ride. Eventually, we breathe them into our lungs. Once you breathe it in, there is a one- to three-week incubation period before symptoms arise. They’re often similar to respiratory illness symptoms.
How common is valley fever? How worried should I be?
Valley fever is very common, said Dr. Galgiani. Most people who live in Arizona will get it at some point. You might get infected within months of arriving or after decades of living here. From 2020 to 2024, the last year for which the Arizona Department of Health Services has complete data, an average of 11,656 people were diagnosed with it across the state each year.
“This is not a disease people should actually get scared about,” Galgiani said.
But that doesn’t mean you should forget about it either. There’s a 5% chance of catching valley fever in any given year, he said, so your risk of infection is generally low. But knowing the risk and what symptoms to watch out for is important. Most cases are mild, with symptoms similar to respiratory illnesses, but a small percentage can lead to lifelong complications.
“Knowing about it and knowing what symptoms it causes and then asking your healthcare provider to test you for it if you get sick is probably the single best thing you can do about this disease,” Galgiani said.
What are valley fever symptoms?
Valley fever often is mistaken for other respiratory illnesses because its symptoms are so similar. Many people suffer from fatigue, chest pain and coughing. People also develop fevers, lose weight, get rashes and have aches and pains. If you’re diagnosed with pneumonia in Arizona, there’s a 14% chance that your pneumonia was caused by valley fever.
A very small percentage of people develop meningitis or other complications like bone infections, spinal infections and abscesses.
Is there anything I can do to prevent catching valley fever?
No, not really.
Go on Reddit and you’ll find all sorts of advice for what to do to avoid valley fever, with some people going as far as turning off their air conditioning during dust storms and monsoons. But the reality of valley fever is it is a fact of life and a calculated risk in this beautiful place we’ve decided to call home, Galgiani said. A place you frequent might have more spores in the ground or the particles might just float by in the air on the wind. It’s the luck of the draw, in many ways. Many people blame monsoons, but Galgiani said that isn’t necessarily right either because of the disease’s incubation period.
“People get diagnosed while it’s raining, but the infection occurred before the rain started — probably,” he said.
I think I have valley fever. What should I do?
The best thing to do is educate yourself about what the symptoms look like, Galgiani said. And if you’re concerned, ask to be tested. Doctors often don’t test for it soon enough or often enough, Galgiani said.
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You don’t even need to go to your doctor to get tested if you don’t want to or don’t have time. There are labs that will run the blood test for you without a doctor’s order. If you’re diagnosed, you and your doctor can take it from there.
There is no cure for valley fever, only treatments. Many people will get better without medicine. But for some, the infection can last months, which can mean months of doctor’s appointments, testing for other illnesses and taking treatments that don’t do anything other than leave you wondering why you’re still sick.
“If you don’t figure out it’s valley fever, you’re getting treated for all sorts of other things,” said Galgiani. “All of which probably are unnecessary for most people once they figure out it’s due to this coccidioidomycosis.”
Can pets get valley fever too?
Yes. Pets who spend time outdoors, like dogs, are susceptible to valley fever as well.
Doggies in particular shove their cute snouts in holes (even though they shouldn’t because of rattlesnakes and such) and love to dig, making them likely to breathe in dirt and the spores. Like us, they also might just be unlucky and breathe in that breath of fresh air that just happens to have fungi in it.
But, unlike us, they are actually more likely to get tested and diagnosed properly because veterinarians test for valley fever far more frequently than doctors do, Galgiani said.
What symptoms should I look for in my pet?
Animals who get valley fever suffer from many of the same symptoms as humans: joint pain, coughing, lethargy, lack of appetite. The symptoms can be subtle — at least at first — which is why it’s good to know what you’re looking for. A dog might develop a limp, start coughing, or sleep more, or all of the above.
If you suspect valley fever, take your pet to the vet for a blood test. And if they are positive, they’ll most likely have to take medicine twice a day for a few months — or, in some cases, for the rest of their life.
The good news for dog owners is a vaccine is in the works and will hopefully be available soon, Galgiani said.
So, just hope I don’t get it, and if I do, hope it’s not bad?
There really is no way to prevent valley fever beyond educating yourself and advocating for yourself if you think you have symptoms. But the good news is most people get better without treatment.
“And then they’re immune for the rest of their life,” said Galgiani.
Eventually, there may be a vaccine for humans, but that is years off. In the meantime, spread the word. Everyone knows about the dangers of heat, of flooding in desert washes and of sticking your hand in a hole in Arizona, he said. And while everyone in Arizona has heard of Lyme disease — which you can’t even get in Arizona! — not everyone knows about valley fever.
“Awareness is your best defense,” he said. “Because figuring out if, in fact, you got infected early makes it the best situation to prevent complications from developing.”
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