More than a dozen people were diagnosed with a fungal infection after attending a huge California music festival this past May.
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The California Department of Public Health told NBC News that fourteen people were diagnosed with Valley Fever after attending the Lightning in a Bottle festival. At least three of the people were hospitalized with pneumonia-like symptoms.
“Valley Fever is a disease caused by a fungus that grows in the soil and dirt in some areas of California and the southwestern United States,” the CDPH shared on their website. “People and animals can get sick when they breathe in dust that contains the Valley fever fungus.”
This fungus usually infects the lungs and can cause respiratory symptoms including cough, fever, chest pain, and tiredness. Most cases of Valley Fever in California are reported from the Central Valley and Central Coast regions.
The CDPH pointed out that Valley Fever cases have been increasing outside of these regions as California experiences more drought.
The California Department of Public Health revealed that the number of cases has increased dramatically over time. In 2000, there were less than 1,000 cases, whereas 2019 saw more than 9,000. There were already 5,370 cases in the first half of 2024.
One of the Music Festival Attendees Speaks Out About Being Diagnosed With Fungal Infection
Eric Mattson, who attended the music festival, stated he started feeling the fungal infection symptoms about a week later.
“I would wake up, like, two to three times a night, just soaking in sweat,” he said. “I would have to change my bedding and change my pajamas while in a ton of pain. It was pretty awful.”
Mattson tested positive for Valley Fever last month. He stated he has not been contacted by the California Department of Public Health, which has not disclosed the names of the 14 confirmed cases. It is unclear whether he is included in the list of confirmed cases.
He said he suspected Valley Fever since he had heard reports that some festivalgoers had gotten infected in past years. However, he was initially diagnosed with pneumonia.
After his primary care doctor ordered a blood test, it confirmed that it was Valley Fever. Mattson’s experience isn’t uncommon either. Dr. Geetha Sivasubramanian, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at UCSF Fresno stated, “A lot of times, patients with Valley fever are misdiagnosed as having bacterial pneumonia.”