Saturday , April 27 2024

Kern County’s Valley Fever Cases Rise For Fourth Year In A Row

Kern County has long been California’s epicenter for the fungal disease valley fever, and new data released Wednesday shows more people are contracting it. The county’s valley fever caseload in 2018 was its second highest ever recorded, said Kern County Public Health Services Director Matt Constantine during a press conference Wednesday. Over 2,900 cases were reported last year, after a steady rise since 2015. “Unfortunately, this is the highest number of new cases we have had in Kern County in 27 years, since 1992,” he said. It’s likely the disease is even more common than that, as health officials believe most cases go undiagnosed. Mild valley fever can be mistaken for pneumonia, but in rare cases, the disease can spread throughout the body and require lifelong treatment. The disease is most commonly diagnosed in men, and among African-Americans and Asian and Pacific Islanders. The disease is caused by inhaling fungal spores that grow in arid soil. Disease experts still don’t know
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