California suspects spread of Valley fever in Kern County music festival

Thousands of attendees at a California music festival were suspected to have been exposed to a potentially fatal fungal infection called Valley fever.

People who attended the Kern County music festival, Lightning in a Bottle, have been advised to keep an eye out for symptoms such as fever and respiratory discomfort after health officials discovered five cases of the fungal infection Valley Fever among those who attended the event.

Three of these five individuals have been hospitalized. More than 20,000 people attended the six-day festival, which ran from May 22 to May 27.

The California Department of Public Health advises all festival participants to exercise caution and contact a healthcare practitioner if they have respiratory symptoms such as cough, fever, exhaustion, difficulty breathing, or chest pain, all of which could indicate valley fever.

One of the festival attendees, Kyle Lewis, said that he has been suffering from a severe case of valley fever since the event, which has required surgery. Lewis was first unaware of the disease and assumed he had bruised his ribs at the festival. "It had a huge impact on my life," he added.

Lewis said that his conditions required a surgery known as video-assisted thoracoscopic surgical decortication (VATS) decortication to remove chronic fluid pockets in his chest cavity that hinder his lungs from growing normally.

"I lost 40 pounds with this sickness, and the muscle weakness has hit me the hardest. I'm not sure how long it will take to recover, but I'm hoping that being able to breathe and not get dizzy will aid in the process," he said.

Valley fever is a fungal disease that is prevalent in the San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast of California. Coccidioidomycosis, sometimes known as 'cocci', is caused by a fungus that thrives in soil and dirt.

The fungi mainly live in the soil and have been detected in parts of Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, California, Texas, and Washington of the United States (US). Valley fever gets its name from the San Joaquin Valley in California.

Breathing in dust containing valley fever fungus can infect the lungs of humans and animals. In California, infection rates have risen in recent years. Between 2018 and 2022, approximately 7,000 to 9,000 cases were reported per year.

Some of the most frequent symptoms of valley fever include fever, cough, exhaustion, shortness of breath, headache, chills, night sweats, joint aches, muscular stiffness, and a rash with spots.

Valley fever is rarely lethal, with only about 1% of individuals affected dying from it. It frequently occurs without symptoms or with flu-like symptoms. In rare situations, it might lead to severe disease.

Many times, the original infection persists and develops into a chronic type of pneumonia. The symptoms may include low-grade fever, weight loss, cough, chest pain, blood-tinged sputum, and nodules in the lungs.

The most severe form of the infection is disseminated coccidioidomycosis, in which the infection spreads throughout the body, including the skin, bones, liver, brain, heart, and the membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord (meninges), and is no longer limited to the lungs.

Nodules, ulcers, painful lesions in the skull, painful and swollen joints, particularly in the knees or ankles, and meningitis, an infection of the membranes and fluid that surround the brain and spinal cord.

To prevent valley fever, use a N95 mask to protect against fungal spores in areas with high levels of dirt and dust. At home, keep doors and windows closed during dust storms and avoid activities like gardening and digging. Air filters can be used at home.