About 80 Californians die every year after contracting Valley fever, a fungal disease that typically affects the lungs. A recent outbreak was traced to a music festival in Kern County.
It’s shaping up to be a bad year — possibly the worst yet — when it comes to Valley fever, a fungal disease marked by cough and fevers. More than 5,300 cases have been reported in California through June, that’s 63% more infections than the same period last year.Valley fever is caused when people inhale microscopic spores of a fungus found in soil. This fungus typically affects the lungs.
And in just the first six months of this year, 5,370 people were reported to have contracted Valley fever. About a third of this year’s cases have been reported in Kern County.This growing number of reported infections could be attributed to a few different factors, experts say."There’s a lot more construction happening up and down the San Joaquin Valley, as we continue to grow in this region. More roads, more solar panels, more homes, all of that is disturbing the soil," Hoyer said.
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