KING CITY, California – Four years ago, Ashley Arreola was diagnosed with Valley Fever, a disease that infects about 20,000 people annually in the country and of which less than 30% develop complications. The teen, who was 15 years old at the time, was one of those people.
“In 2020, Valley Fever affected me, it caused me several things, I became paralyzed, I had a stroke and it gave me depression,” explained the young woman, who is now 19 years old.
Dr. Trinidad Solis of the Fresno County Health Department explains that “Valley Fever is a disease caused by a fungus that lives in the soil, very common in California, mainly in the San Joaquin Valley and the central coast of the state”.
“People get sick with this fungus when the earth is disturbed by strong winds or where the ground is dug up,” he said. When this happens, the airborne fungus can enter the lungs through breathing in by people.
Before learning the correct diagnosis, Ashley and her mother, Rosario, visited several doctors in central California who said her symptoms were the flu.
As her mother remembers, Ashley had a cough, high fever and fainting. The woman also says she took her daughter to the emergency room five times and “every time it was the same.” She regrets that if the diagnosis had not been late, perhaps the impact and damage the fungus did to Ashley’s nervous system “would not have been so great.”
Local and state officials have been working on information campaigns for the past few years to raise awareness about Valley Fever. In fact, August is the month of awareness for this disease, precisely in a year when cases in California have increased by almost 60% compared to 2023.
“We have noticed that this fungus grows more when it rains and then it dries up in the summer. That’s why we have seen more cases during the last year, because we have seen more rain in the state,” Solis explained.
During 2023, 9,280 people were infected with the disease in California. In 2024, 5,370 cases have already been reported, which represents more than 60% of those recorded in the same period last year.
Recently, there was an outbreak of Valley Fever in and near Bakersfield, following an outdoor music festival. The California Department of Health recently reported that at least five cases have been identified and are linked to that event.
Ashley, who has been suffering from the disease for four years, admits that she misses running the most. “I was the best at running,” she said with a sad smile.
Currently, Ashley has to live with a valve in her brain that allows her to drain cerebrospinal fluid and avoid other complications to her health.
Rosario admits that the situation is a nightmare and she is exhausted. However, she is grateful to have her daughter alive. “The positive thing about all of this is that she is alive. I never questioned God why me, why us, because I really don’t want anyone to go through what we are going through,” she said.
Symptoms of Valley Fever:
Anyone who comes into contact with the fungus and develops valley fever will likely have respiratory symptoms or pneumonia, since it typically affects the lungs.
The most common symptoms include fatigue, cough, shortness of breath, fever, night sweats, muscle or joint pain, chest pain, weight loss, headache and rash.
Like any infectious disease, contagion occurs due to the transmission of microorganisms in the environment that enter the human body, affecting its normal functioning.
Solis says that, in general, pregnant women, older adults, diabetics and people with weakened immune systems may have complications, and even die.
About 200 people have died each year due to the infection over the past decade. The most affected states are California, Arizona and Nevada.
How to Prevent Valley Fever
“There is no vaccine for valley fever, nor is there a pill,” said Dr. Ralph Garcia-Pacheco of the Valley Fever Institute at Kern Medical Hospital. “Then it’s just avoiding exposure to the fungus,” he warned.
For Solis, the best way to prevent this risk is to use N-95 masks, which offer the greatest protection for field workers, construction workers and anyone who is working outdoors. “If they are outside or digging in the ground, we tell them to protect themselves with a mask,” he recommended.
Solis offered other recommendations for windy days. “They should stay home, keep doors and windows closed. If they are going to dig in the soil, they are advised to wet it first to reduce the risk of spreading dust,” he said.