Following Record Year, Valley Fever Cases Continue to Rise

Valley fever is on the rise in California with more than 5,500 provisional cases reported through the first six months of 2025.

In 2024, California reported nearly 12,500 cases, the highest year on record for California and a significant jump from the 7,000-9,000 cases reported annually from 2017 through 2023. Rates of valley fever continue to be highest in the southern San Joaquin Valley, but cases have been increasing in other areas such as the northern Central Valley and the Central Coast.

Valley fever, also known as coccidioidomycosis or “cocci,” is caused by a fungus that grows in the soil and dirt in the California's Central Valley where it is most common.

Valley fever can cause symptoms that look like COVID-19 or flu. It can also cause serious lung infections like pneumonia. People who live, work, go to school or travel in areas where valley fever is common are at risk of becoming sick.

Although most people with valley fever get better on their own and don’t need treatment, for some people it can become severe, chronic, or even fatal without care.

"Valley fever is a serious illness that’s here to stay in California," said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer Dr. Erica Pan. "We want to remind Californians, travelers to California, and their healthcare providers to watch for signs and symptoms of valley fever to help detect it early.

“If you have been sick with symptoms like cough, fever, trouble breathing, and tiredness for more than 7-10 days, please talk to a healthcare provider about Valley fever," she added.

People and pets can get valley fever by breathing in dust from outdoor air that contains the valley fever fungus.

Valley fever is not contagious and cannot spread from one person or animal to another.

What You Can Do

If you live, work, go to school or travel in areas where valley fever is common, some practical tips to reduce your chances of getting valley fever include:

• When it is windy outside and the air is dusty, stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed.

• When driving through a dusty area, keep car windows closed and use recirculating air, if possible.

• Before digging, wet down soil and dirt to prevent stirring up dust into the air.

• Consider wearing a properly fitted N95 respirator (mask) if you must be in dusty air outdoors in these areas.

Valley fever can be difficult to prevent, and can also be hard to recognize and diagnose because it can look like other common respiratory infections. Consider asking your doctor or healthcare provider about valley fever if you are concerned, especially if you have:

• Symptoms like cough, fever, night sweats, trouble breathing, chest pain and exhaustion for more than 7-10 days

• Lived, worked, gone to school or traveled in areas where valley fever is common in the weeks or months before getting sick

• Been around a lot of dirt or dust outdoors, including working outdoors, in the weeks or months before getting sick. Outdoor work can include construction, agricultural work and wildland firefighting (which may involve digging and moving soil to control fires during fire season).

Only a doctor or healthcare provider can diagnose someone with valley fever (which usually involves blood tests or other laboratory tests) or determine if a person needs treatment for valley fever. Patients with severe valley fever may require hospitalization and may experience lifelong symptoms. In some cases, valley fever can be fatal.

Even young, healthy people can get sick with valley fever, but certain factors can increase a person's risk of getting severe valley fever, including being an older adult (60+ years old), having diabetes or a condition that weakens the immune system, or being pregnant.

People who are Black or Filipino also have been noted to have a higher risk of severe disease from valley fever, which may relate to underlying health conditions, health inequities, or other causes.

Know your risk and ask your doctor or healthcare provider about valley fever if you are concerned.

For more information, visit https://www.cdph.ca.gov/ and do a search for valley fever.