Banner Urgent Care centers across Maricopa County have seen an increase in pneumonia patients testing positive for Valley fever over the last month.
Dr. John Galigiani, director of the Valley Fever Center for Excellence at the University of Arizona, said it has been a dry and dusty summer and those conditions raise the chances that people might inhale the tiny fungal spores that spread the infection.
Phoenix had two dust storms at the beginning of August that both ranked as rare Category 5 events on Arizona State University’s Phoenix Dust Scale — the highest level on the scale which measures concentrations of dust. This week, Phoenix had another dust storm that ranked as a Category 4.
“During the dust storms you might get somewhat of an increased risk of Valley fever, but it’s not just the dust storms,” Galgiani said.
Galgiani said even when dust isn’t blowing due to monsoon activity, people can be exposed to the fungus that grows in Arizona’s desert soils.
“Just living in Arizona is the risk,” Galgiani said.
Galgiani said symptoms of Valley fever may take about three weeks to appear after someone is exposed.
Valley fever is often misdiagnosed, so Galigiani encourages Arizonans to seek testing if they develop symptoms like coughing, joint pain, or fatigue that lasts longer than a week.
“Awareness about this disease is probably your best defense,” Galgiani said. “By knowing that it’s a fungal infection you stop getting treatments for other things that you don’t have, like getting antibiotics for a bacterial pneumonia, for example.”
The Arizona Department of Health Services has confirmed 7,300 cases of Valley fever so far this year. Galgiani expects that number will continue to rise.
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