Thousands of people attending a popular music festival in California have been warned they may have been exposed to a life-threatening fungus.
California Department of Health (CDPH) said An investigation is underway into a cluster of Valley Fever cases identified among attendees of the Lightning in a Bottle music festival in Buena Vista Lake, held May 21-25.
More than 20,000 people attended the event and five people were diagnosed with Valley Fever. Three of the infected were hospitalized.
Valley fever, so named because most cases occur in Arizona and California, is a deadly infectious disease that kills one in every 100 people who contract it.
Above you can see the number of reported Valley Fever cases in the US from 1998 to 2023
Above you can see areas where the fungus that causes Valley Fever may be present
It is caused by the fungus Coccidioides, which releases spores into the air when soil is disturbed, which are then inhaled by people. There is no person-to-person transmission.
According to the CDPH, there may be more cases linked to attendance at the outdoor festival.
The department added: “Overall, cases of Valley Fever in California have increased significantly over the past two years. Therefore, CDPH is asking attendees of this festival to complete a voluntary survey, even if they are asymptomatic.”
Officials have not released any information about the patients, but a Reddit user claims to be one.
About 18 days after returning from the festival, they were admitted to hospital with a serious lung infection and experienced fever, aches and cough.
The user called Valley Fever “no joke” and said it “caused a cavity (a hole) in my right lung.”
Another user responded to the post saying he too had gotten Valley Fever and was “insanely sick.”
One poster said her husband was infected and had developed fluid in his chest and around his lungs. His symptoms began on June 5 and he was admitted to the hospital on June 12. He was eventually sent home on July 1, but will have to undergo antifungal treatments for “months.”
Several users indicated that the festival organizers should relocate in the future due to the presence of mold in the area and the dusty conditions during the event.
Most people with the mild form of Valley Fever do not realize they have the disease because its symptoms (fatigue, cough, fever, muscle aches and shortness of breath) resemble those of a viral respiratory infection.
Other symptoms include night sweats, joint pain, and a red rash, usually on the legs but sometimes on the chest, arms, and back.
The disease, against which there is no preventive vaccine, is often overlooked by doctors or misdiagnosed as pneumonia.
But about 10 percent of infections are severe and take months to recover from.
In these cases, known as disseminated coccidioidomycosis, the disease can spread through the bloodstream to other parts of the body, including the brain, skin, and liver.
If it infects the membranes and fluid surrounding the brain, it can cause life-threatening meningitis.
There is no proven treatment for Valley Fever. Patients are usually prescribed rest and therapies to control symptoms.
Doctors sometimes prescribe antifungal medications, but there is no evidence from clinical trials that these treatments are effective. In addition, antifungal medications can have serious side effects.
Valley fever is caused by the fungus Coccidioides, which releases spores into the air when the soil is disturbed, which are then inhaled by humans
California health officials are encouraging people who visited the area around the festival (near the city of Bakersfield and in Kern County) and are experiencing respiratory symptoms to see a doctor and ask about being tested for Valley Fever.
The department said, “Be sure to mention that you attended the music festival or that you are traveling to Kern County, where Valley Fever is common.”
Only five cases have been identified, but there are likely more.
Mild cases of the fungal infection in people who contracted the disease two months ago may have already recovered, and others who are still experiencing symptoms may still be undiagnosed.
The number of Valley Fever cases peaked in 2021 for the first time in a decade, with 20,970 cases recorded, the highest number ever recorded in a single year since the last peak in 2011.
The number of cases fell in 2022, but rose again last year, and Experts are concerned about the expected increase of the fungus in the coming decades.
The CDC estimates that Valley Fever could infect more than half a million Americans annually in the future.
The agency said that as temperatures around the world rise, the disease’s endemic region will spread north, including dry western areas. Other experts fear it could be endemic in 17 states by 2100.