Central California reporting increase in Valley Fever cases

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- More radical are getting sick with Valley Fever.

Central California wellness leaders are urging radical to instrumentality precautions and support themselves from the disease.

"If you're going to beryllium moving successful the situation wherever there's tons of particulate astir you, delight deterioration that mask," says Leticia Berber with the Fresno County Health Department. "N-95 is best."

Valley Fever comes from a fungus that grows successful the ungraded oregon dirt.

It's caused erstwhile radical respire successful that infected soil.

Numbers from the California Department of Public Health amusement that successful Fresno County, determination are much than 570 cases of Valley Fever arsenic of July 31.

"This is an ongoing concern wherever we spot these cases spell up," Berber said. "Also, motortruck drivers and operation workers, truthful this unwellness is an ongoing illness."

In 2024, California saw a grounds precocious fig of Valley Fever cases, with astir 12,500 cases reported.

Action News spoke with Dr. Geetha Sivasubramanian, the Chief of Infectious Diseases astatine UCSF Fresno, who says it's imaginable we could spot much cases this year.

"We'll cognize much erstwhile we person each the numbers, but the inclination looks similar it could scope oregon bushed past year's numbers," she said.

Other Central California counties are besides seeing cases of Valley Fever.

Tulare County reported 371 cases. Kings County is astatine 223 cases. Merced County reported 114 cases truthful far. Madera has 56 cases. Mariposa 4 reported cases.

Berber explains that Valley fever cases spike astir summertime and fall.

"When farmers are plowing their lands either to get it acceptable for crops, oregon plowing their onshore erstwhile they person finished getting with those crops," Berber said.

Symptoms of Valley Fever see cough, fever, fatigue and occupation breathing, conscionable to sanction a few.

"About 60% of the cases, it's lone mild," Dr. Sivasubramanian said. "You mightiness not adjacent cognize you person Valley Fever, oregon it mightiness beryllium a precise mild infection. The different 40% it could beryllium overmuch much severe. One happening we are seeing successful the past mates of years, we are seeing much terrible cases getting admitted to the infirmary with Valley Fever."

While determination is attraction for Valley Fever, doctors accidental the astir important happening is to trial for the disease.

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