Valley Fever video - check it out
Produced by Sam Louie / Edited by Jesse Gift
http://californiaconnected.org/video/2005-09-02-valleyfever.mov
Valley Fever, coccidioidomycosis, is spread by the spores of a dangerous fungus that thrives in dry, dusty climates and can travel hundreds of miles in the wind. An estimated 100,000 cases of Valley Fever are reported throughout the American Southwest and there is currently no vaccine for this potentially fatal disease. Reporter Sam Louie heads to Bakersfield to talk to victims of this confounding disease.
What is Valley Fever?, Valley Fever Vaccine Project of the Americas, Bakersfield, California
In the mask of daily trials, there is a threat that will change your life as you know it and can create havoc in the lives of those you love.
Valley Fever - a seemingly secret disease has been on the increase, multiplying its victims at an alarming increase and spreading its territory. The only way to stop it and gain control of it, is to make others aware of its presence, take measures to reduce exposure, and demand for better research on how to control it and overcome its dibilitating effects.
Thank you to Jackie News who provided some of the information here. Links to healthline, CDC, and other sites were integrated into this description. You can find the links below the information.
This information was edited to created ease in reading on this profile.
Signs and symptoms
Valley fever occurs in three forms: acute, chronic and disseminated.
Acute valley fever
The acute form is often mild, with few, if any, symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they tend to resemble those of the flu, and can range from minor to severe:
Fever. Cough. Chest pain
Can vary from a mild feeling of constriction to intense pressure resembling a heart attack.
Chills. Night sweats. Headache. Fatigue. Shortness of breath. Joint aches. Rash.
Some people develop painful red bumps that may later turn brown — mainly on the lower legs but sometimes on the chest, arms and back. Others may have a raised red rash with blisters or eruptions that look like pimples.
If you don't become ill from valley fever, you may only learn that you've been infected when you later have a positive skin or blood test or when small areas of residual infection (nodules) show up on a routine chest X-ray. Although they don't cause problems in and of themselves, nodules can look like cancer on X-ray, leading to unnecessary biopsies.
If you do develop symptoms, especially severe ones, the course of the disease is uncertain. It can take from six months to a year to fully recover, and fatigue and joint aches can last even longer. The severity of the disease depends on several factors, including your overall health and the number of fungus spores you inhale.
Chronic valley fever
Appearing as many as 20 years after the initial infection, chronic valley fever is most common in people with diabetes or a weakened immune system.
You're likely to have periods of worsening symptoms alternating with periods of recovery.
Signs and symptoms are similar to those of tuberculosis:
Low-grade fever Weight loss Cough Chest pain Blood-tinged sputum Nodules in the lungs
Disseminated valley fever
The most serious form of the disease, disseminated valley fever occurs when the infection spreads beyond the lungs to other parts of the body, most often the skin, bones, liver, brain, heart and the membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord (meninges).
The signs and symptoms of disseminated disease depend on which parts of your body are affected and may include:
Nodules, ulcers and skin lesions that are more serious than the rash that sometimes occurs with other forms of the disease
Painful lesions in the skull, spine or other bones
Painful, swollen joints, especially in the knees or ankles
Meningitis — an infection of the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord and the most deadly complication of valley fever
Causes
The fungus that causes valley fever, Coccidioides immitis, thrives in the alkaline desert soils of
southern Arizona, northern Mexico and California's San Joaquin Valley.
It's also endemic to
Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas and parts of Central and South America —
areas with mild winters and arid summers.
Coccidioides immitis
Like many other fungi, Coccidioides immitis has a complex life cycle.
In the soil, it grows as a mold with long filaments that break off into airborne spores when the soil is disturbed.
The spores are extremely small, can be carried hundreds of miles by the wind and are highly contagious. Once inside the lungs, the spores reproduce, perpetuating the cycle of the disease.
For more than half of infected people, this poses no problem.
Their immune system effectively "walls off" the fungus, and they never develop symptoms, although they may have lingering patches of infection in their lungs.
Others have varying degrees of chest pain, weakness, fever, chills, night sweats, joint aches and sometimes a rash or swollen lymph nodes — symptoms that usually go away on their own or with treatment.
In a few people, the illness progresses to severe pneumonia or spreads beyond the lungs and may ultimately prove fatal.
How global warming, snowbirds, the real estate boom and AIDS contribute to valley fever
The first case of valley fever was recognized more than a century ago.
Since then, doctors have diagnosed upward of 100,000 cases a year in endemic areas.
But starting in the 1990s, the incidence of valley fever increased significantly, especially in California and Arizona.
A number of factors seem to have contributed to the rise in reported cases — up more than threefold between 1993 and 2003 in Arizona alone.
Climate change.
In desert regions, changing rainfall patterns and extended periods of drought seem to be closely associated with the upsurge in valley fever.
Rain.
Coccidioides, dormant during long dry spells, "blooms" when it rains and
Soil disruption.
It is swept into the air by anything that disturbs the soil:
In Arizona, most outbreaks occur in June, July, August, October and November.
In California, the risk of infection is highest during the summer months, usually June through August.
Population growth.
During the past few decades, the Southwest has seen unprecedented growth, with a great increase in both permanent residents and winter visitors. That means large numbers of people with no natural immunity to valley fever are exposed to the fungus.
The influx of people into California during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s sparked a similar rise in valley fever outbreaks.
Building boom.
Unchecked growth has been one of the most troublesome consequences of the mass migration to the Sun Belt states.
This has led to rampant land clearing and construction, which spew thousands of tons of fungus-laden dust into the air every year.
HIV/AIDS.
People with severely compromised immune systems, especially those with advanced AIDS, are at great risk of disseminated valley fever.
As people live longer with AIDS, and as they relocate or travel to endemic areas, the risk of serious infection increases.
No limitations on its attack of living cells.
Valley fever isn't limited to humans...
dogs, horses, cattle, bats, snakes, coyotes and most other animals also are susceptible to the disease.
Even house cats can catch valley fever when dust seeps in around windows and doors during storms.
Risk factors
Environmental exposure.
Anyone who inhales the spores that cause valley fever is at risk of infection.
Some experts estimate that up to half of the people living in areas where valley fever is common have had the disease.
People who have jobs that expose them to dust are most at risk — construction, road and agricultural workers, ranchers, archeologists, and military personnel on field exercises.
Smoking.
Smokers, especially those with scarring and thickening of lung tissue (pulmonary fibrosis), are at higher risk of valley fever than nonsmokers are.
Race.
For reasons that aren't well understood, people of color are more susceptible to valley fever and several times more likely to develop serious illness than whites.
Filipinos, Hispanics and blacks have the highest risk.
Pregnancy.
Pregnant women are vulnerable to valley fever in the third trimester and right after their babies are born.
Diabetes.
The rate of valley fever infection is higher among people with diabetes.
Weakened immune system.
Anyone with a weakened immune system — including people living with AIDS or those treated with steroids, chemotherapy or anti-rejection drugs after transplant surgery — is at high risk of valley fever as well as of serious complications of the disease.
People with cancer and Hodgkin's disease also have an increased risk.
Age.
Older adults are more likely to develop valley fever than younger people are, possibly because their immune systems are less robust or because they have other medical conditions that affect their overall health.
When to seek medical advice
Valley fever, even when it's symptomatic, often clears on its own.
Yet for older adults and others at high risk, recovery can be slow and the risk of disseminated disease high.
For that reason, it's important to seek medical care if you develop the signs and symptoms of valley fever, especially if you live in or have recently traveled to an area where this disease is common.
Be sure to tell your doctor if you've traveled to a place where valley fever is endemic and have symptoms.
More and more often, people who spend a few days golfing or hiking in Arizona return home with valley fever but are never tested for the disease.
Thank you for taking your time to read this information and becoming more aware of Valley Fever and its increasing incident rate. Please take more time to share this site and information with others.
If you have any links, comments, or know a victim of Valley Fever, please send contact information so this site may be able to effectively share the information needed for more awareness and sharing. It is our hopes that by making others aware, that we will be able to slow down its infection rate, advanced infections, and find a solution to keep it from affecting so many.
"The incidence of the disease was 15/100,000 in Arizona in 1995."
"Of persons living in areas with endemic disease, between 10% and 50% have been found to show a positive skin test to CM."
"In one outbreak, 35 church members from Pennsylvania traveled to Hermosillo, Mexico, where they stayed a week to build a church. Within 2 weeks of returning home, 27 of the travelers complained of flu-like symptoms and testing revealed exposure to the fungus that causes CM."
"The disease is also known by a number of other names including desert fever, Posadas disease, San Joaquin fever, San Joaquin Valley disease, San Joaquin Valley fever, and valley fever."
Diagnosis of coccidioidal pneumonia outside an area in which Coccidioides immitis is endemic is unlikely unless the health care provider is aware that the patient traveled recently.
eduCoccidioides immitis is a dimorphic soil-inhabiting fungus and the etiological agent of coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever).
Coccidioides immitis Specimens seen in the laboratory: Lactophenol blue prep of the mycelial form showing arthroconidia, spherules in tissue A Quick Review of Coccidioides immitis Coccidioides immitis is one of the primary pathogenic fungi.
Coccidioides immitis presenting as a hyphal form in a ventriculoperitoneal shunt.
Coccidioidomycosis among visitors to a Coccidioides immitis-endemic area: an outbreak in a military reserve unit.
Coccidioidomycosis Scope Note: infection with a fungus of the genus Coccidioides, species C. immitis; primary form is an acute, benign, self limited respiratory infection due to inhalation of spores and varying in severity; secondary form is a virulent, severe, chronic, progressive granulomatous disease with systemic involvement.
with few or no symptoms, and resolves without treatment.
Coccidioidomycosis is endemic in the southwestern USA, including the central valley of California, Arizona, parts of New Mexico, and Texas west of El Paso.
Outside the United States, coccidioidomycosis is endemic in parts of Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, and Venezuela.
What is coccidioidomycosis? Coccidioidomycosis is an infectious disease caused by inhaling spores of a fungus called Coccidioides immitis.
Coccidioidomycosis is endemic in the western hemisphere from California to Argentina.
Avian gastric mycosis is most commonly diagnosed antemortem by demonstration of the organism in the feces, either by use of a quick stain or Gram stain of fecal smears, or wet-mount analysis of fresh droppings.
Of these variants, mycosis fungoides is the most common and sometimes has been used indiscriminately to describe all cutaneous T cell lymphomas (CTCL).
Desert fever is the illness that struck former San Antonio Spurs guard Johnny Moore in the 1980s.
Coccidioidomycosis (Infectious Diseases) : Article by Edward L Arsura, MD Coccidioidomycosis (Infectious Diseases) - Desert fever is a frequently used term describing the clinical presentation of an infection with the fungus Coccidioides immitis.
Desert Fever is believed to be caused by coming into direct or airborne contact with the highly alkaloidal excrement of the Honey Bear Badger.
San Joaquin Valley fever is a respiratory infection endemic throughout the San Joaquin Valley and other areas of California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
LLNL FS 01010 Environmental Protection Materials Management Health Warning Contractors of San Joaquin Valley Fever&--;Site 300 San Joaquin Valley fever is a potentially deadly disease caused by dust-borne fungus.
The cases of the sea otters San Joaquin Valley Fever is similar to the human epidemic fever that began in California in 1991, by unusal weather and environmental conditions.
San Joaquin Valley Fever San Joaquin valley fever is caused by the fungus Cocciedioides immits, and is commonly found eight to ten inches below the surface of soil in climates characterized by modest rainfall, mild Page 2 4.
San Joaquin Valley Fever is a fungal disease caused by Coccidioides immitis, endemic in portions of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, where more than five million people are residing in these at-risk regions.
About me: Welcome to the Valley Fever Awareness Site designed to spread awareness of Valley Fever and empower victims and their families to gain as much information that is available as possible for more rapid diagnosis, medical treatment and prevention.
Since the beginning of this site there have been considerably more avenues of information and efforts of sharing the awareness with more links and data available through searches on the internet.
Because the links here are not reliable, it helps to know how searches can be made by you or others interested.
First you chose a search engine... it is important to note that each search engine may be focused in areas that others are not.
For instance, a search on the myspace search bar for VALLEY FEVER with people would result in no responses... when you click on the mayspace definer in the search bar you get a page with the top right info line stating that there are 4,180 for Valley Fever.
When you include the word victim, the search then becomes more concentrated and results in 181 for Valley Fever victim.
Who I'd like to meet: This area will have updated search links which will be integrated into the site as soon as possible, until then, there may be duplicate links on this page
~~ searches conducted and updated on Jan 26, 2008.
January 2008: We were given the following information from California's vaccine project, the Valley Fever Americas Foundation:
With California state funding non-existent, and no federal appropriation in 2008, federal funding for 2009 is CRITICAL to the continuation of the vaccine project.
Please do all you can to generate phone calls, faxes, emails, letters to Jim Nussle, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and to congressional representatives all over the United States!
For Jim Nussle, the message is to please support vaccine research funding in the President's 2009 budget!
For congressional representatives, request support for vaccine research funding in the appropriation process,
Nussle's mailing address is included on the attached letter. The organizational chart on the OMB website lists the following for Nussle: phone 202-395-4840 -- FAX 202-395-3888
To ascertain the congressional representative for an area, you can use http://www.house.gov/ Just enter a zip code for the area in question.
Contact from individuals, from a business or corporation and from groups such as Service Clubs, Professional Organizations, Governmental entities, Chambers of Commerce, churches, etc. can be VERY influential IF IT IS FROM CONSTITUENTS of the congressman being contacted.
To get individuals and groups to make these contacts, you must ask, so please do!
"The reported number of cases of Valley Fever in Arizona has been increasing since it became laboratory-reportable in 1997. In 2007 there were 4903 cases reported; only 958 cases were reported in 1997. "
"The highest rates of infection in Arizona occur in Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties, and the peak seasons occur from June through August and from October through November."
Hey there!! Did you know we were friends? Well, myspace says I have 3,954 friends!! Well, I'm really not that sure I've actually corresponded with you, so now I am!! I've started my going thru all of you and say hello and that I hope your world is good. Mine is pretty well.
And, I'm left handed (we always do everything different) so I started back at the Z's. lol I like it like that! My last name is Walker...so for once, I'm making the A's wait!! How bout that?!! lol 'Bout damn time!! lol
See if you can find yourself in this song. Betcha can!! I think we've all been there!!
"But I Love Her"
Thanks for being my friend!! I really mean it!!
Peace!
g
PS...if ya write back, then I'll know you're a friend!! See ya here?
Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. Thank you for being around and making my world beautiful!
Hey there!! How's it going?! Just want to say it's awesome we are friends on here and I truly am grateful we are.
If ya don't mind, I'd like to share a video of me ( I didn't even know was being taped ) at a local club here in Nashville. Have ya ever been in a relationship and you were just so ready to just walk out the door cause ya just had enough? But then about the time you're ready to leave...your heart gets in the way? Well, that's what this song is about. Let me know what ya think about it.
"But I Love Her"
All that's missing was you and yours!!
Peace
Garrett Walker
May 2009 be a year in which you allow yourself to be more of who you truly are. May you play more, laugh more, dance more, love more, live more, give more, see more, receive more, know more, enjoy more, and celebrate more. May you open to the vast possibilities and the boundless love and wisdom of your grander truer self. May you know the full extent of your deserving, and open to allow more of all that you desire in all areas of your life. May the doors to your brightest dreams swing wide open. May gifts, synchronicities and solutions dawn in your world beyond the horizons of your imaginings. May you and your life sparkle with merriment and magic . May you connect to and experience more of the love, light and magnificence that you are. May you create your 'Love-Life' - a life you truly love!
Sending the warmest Christmas wishes to you and your family. May God shower his choicest blessings on you and your family this Christmas. Thank you for being a wonderful friend!
May you find serenity and tranquility in a world you may not always understand. May the pain you have known and the conflict you have experienced give you the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with courage and optimism. Always know that there are those whose love and understanding will always be there, even when you feel most alone. May you discover enough goodness in others to believe in a world of peace. May a kind word, a reassuring touch, and a warm smile be yours every day of your life, and may you give these gifts as well as receive them. Remember the sunshine when the storm seems unending.
Teach love to those who hate, and let that love embrace you as you go out into the world. May the teachings of those you admire become part of you, so that you may call upon them. Remember, those whose lives you have touched and whose have touched yours are always a part of you, even if the encounters were less than you would have wished. It is the content of the encounter that is more important than the form.
May you not become too concerned with material matters, but instead place immeasurable value on the goodness in your heart. Find time each day to see beauty and love in the world around you. Realize that each person has limitless abilities, but each of us is different in our own way. What you feel you lack in the present may become one of your strengths in the future. May you see your future as one filled with promise and possibility. Learn to view everything as a worthwhile experience. May you find enough inner strength to determine your own worth by yourself, and not be dependent on anothers judgment of your accomplishments. May you always feel loved.
"What anyone else has or does not have has nothing to do with you.
The only thing that affects your experience is the way you utilize the Non-Physical Energy with your thought. Your abundance or lack of it in your experience has nothing to do with what anybody else is doing or having.
It has only to do with your perspective. It has only to do with your offering of thought. If you want your fortunes to shift, you have to begin telling a different story. "
Thank you for such an informative site on valley fever. My daughter a few days ago was diagnosed with VF...the scary part is she is 9 years out post-double lung transplant. She has had no problems with her transplanted lungs except for one time rejection 3 yrs ago...and now this. We live in a small town in the San Joaquin Valley of California, the diagnosis of VF is not uncommon to those who live here. It just hurts to know that my daugther has worked hard at caring for her transplanted lungs to have something such as this take all that from her and possibly her life.... again thank you for this site. Now we travel another unknown road ahead ;-( Cloyce
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