Climate Change: Fungal Infection, Valley Fever Cases Uptick Culprit

Climate change is to blame for the uptick in cases of valley fever, according to experts' concerns.

According to experts, because of the extreme climate changes, fungi can grow and spread more easily, making diseases like valley fever better at spreading.

Valley Fever

Valley fever is typically only contracted in the southwestern US states, with Arizona and California accounting for the majority of all US cases.

However, climate change may be to blame for the increasing distances to which valley fever as well as other fungal infections are now being detected.

Valley fever cases have been increasing, according to Bridget Barker, a Northern Arizona University expert and associate professor. Areas of the US that were previously not thought to be endemic for the illness, like eastern Washington state, are now experiencing locally acquired cases.

The fungus Coccidioides, which thrives in dry soils, is the source of valley fever. It produces airborne spores, like the majority of fungi, which can infect people when they breathe them in.

Contaminated Soil

Rebecca Drummond, a fungal immunologist and University of Birmingham associate professor, pointed out that when the fungus-infected soil is disturbed, spores can be released into the air, which people can then breathe into their lungs.

Around 80 people die from valley fever every year in California alone, and more than 1,000 are hospitalized as a result of the infection. Every year, the fungus claims the lives of about 200 people in the entire US.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists a cough, fever, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint aches, night sweats, and an upper body or leg rash as symptoms of valley fever.

If the infection spreads to other organs besides the lungs, such as the liver, bone, spleen, skin, or joints, the illness becomes dangerous.

According to a study published in the journal GeoHealth, climate change could cause valley fever to spread east to the Great Plains, going as far north as some areas in Canada before the end of the century. Cases of valley fever are rising and spreading outside of their traditional range.

Climate Change

Antonis Rokas, a Vanderbilt University professor for biological sciences and biomedical informatics, said that in some parts of South America, Central America, and the Southwest of the United States, these fungi can be found in the soil of arid regions. However, climate change modeling predicts that the number of endemic regions for the disease could rise by 50% this century.

Large swaths of the southwest of the United States and elsewhere are becoming increasingly dry due to climate change, which is ideal for valley fever to flourish there. The following post-drought rainfall will also provide favorable conditions for the fungus.

According to Barker, the fungus appears to respond favorably to prolonged drought followed by intense rain, which is the trend in the climate forecast for the western US. Experts say that Barker adds that the fungus has adjusted to dry and hot conditions. Experts are concerned about this and believe that the cases are growing.

Also Read: Deadly Soil Fungi Causes Serious Lung Infection Uptick in 48 States, Study Shows

The Spread and Resistance to Drugs

Since people are much less skilled at treating and immunizing against fungi than they are against bacteria or viruses, the spread of fungal infections such as valley fever in the future is extremely concerning.

Drummond said that There are fewer antifungal medications on the market than antibiotics, and there are no fungal vaccines. Resistance to antifungal medications has been on the rise recently. Valley fever is not an exception to the fact that fungus infections are challenging to treat.

To help us create new and improved treatments for these diseases, there is a critical need for more research into fungi.

Other fungal species may also have similar adaptations, which could be disastrous if the fungus can infect humans and have severe effects on us.

Drummond said that Fungi may be forced to adapt as the planet warms, making them better suited to surviving in higher temperatures. Climate change also increases the likelihood of more severe weather phenomena, such as dust storms, which can expose more people to the fungus in the soil and increase the likelihood of infections, Newsweek reports.