The disease has spread more rapidly this year than in previous years, with 6,280 suspected, probable or confirmed infections through July—about 2,500 more than the same period in 2023.
A recent study suggests that California's changing weather patterns, marked by heavy rain and drought cycles, are making conditions more favorable for valley fever's fungus to thrive.
Heaney warns that if this climate pattern continues, it may contribute to an increase in valley fever infections in the future, highlighting a troubling relationship with climate change.
CDPH Director Dr. Tomás Aragón advises Californians to be vigilant about valley fever symptoms, particularly those who have been outdoors in dusty areas regularly seen in the Central Valley.
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