What is the geographic distribution of coccidioidomycosis?
Coccidioides lives in dust and soil in some areas in the southwestern United States, Mexico, and South America. In the United States, Coccidioides lives in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. The fungus was also recently found in south-central Washington.
Where is coccidioidomycosis endemic?
Coccidioidomycosis is caused by Coccidioides immitis, a soil fungus native to the San Joaquin Valley of California (see the image below), and by C posadasii, which is endemic to certain arid-to-semiarid areas of the southwestern United States, northern portions of Mexico, and scattered areas in Central America and …
Where can you contract Valley fever?
The fungus that causes Valley fever lives in the soil in the southwestern United States, south-central Washington State, and parts of Mexico and Central and South America.
What is the reservoir of coccidioidomycosis?
Disseminated disease: Develops insidiously. 4. Reservoir: Soil from endemic areas (mostly southwestern United States and northern Mexico). Antelope Valley and San Joaquin Valleys in southern California.
What is disseminated coccidioidomycosis?
Disseminated coccidioidomycosis is an airborne illness caused by the fungus Coccidioides immitis. When the infection is in your lungs, it’s known as valley fever. When it spreads from the lungs to other tissues, it’s known as disseminated coccidioidomycosis. The condition requires immediate medical attention.
What is the causative agent of coccidioidomycosis?
Valley fever, also called coccidioidomycosis, is an infection caused by the fungus Coccidioides. The fungus is known to live in the soil in the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico and Central and South America. The fungus was also recently found in south-central Washington.
Where is Valley fever happening most recently?
Parts of Utah, Washington, and northern Arizona have all had valley fever outbreaks recently. “That’s concerning to us because, yes, it would indicate that it’s happening right now,” Barker said.
Where is Valley fever most common in Arizona?
Around 4 million people live in areas where the Valley Fever fungus is prevalent in the soil. About 80% of these people live in southern Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson).
Where does Coccidioides immitis grow?
Coccidioides immitis is a dimorphic fungus that is endemic to the desert areas of the Southwest, specifically California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Coccidioides immitis grows as a mycelia that releases airborne arthroconidia, which when inhaled and in the alveoli transform into spherules containing endospores.
What does Paracoccidioidomycosis mean?
Paracoccidioidomycosis is an infection caused by the fungus Paracoccidioides. This fungus lives in parts of Central and South America. Anyone who lives in or visits areas where Paracoccidioides lives can get paracoccidioidomycosis, but it most often affects men who work outdoors in rural areas.
Why is it called Valley fever?
Valley fever is caused by a person inhaling spores of certain fungi. The fungi that cause valley fever — Coccidioides immitis or Coccidioides posadasii — live in the soil in parts of Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, California, Texas and Washington. It’s named after the San Joaquin Valley in California.