Valley Fever numbers increasing
Health official cites weather and growth as likely factors
ADVERTISEMENT
- Most Commented Stories Today
- Most E-mailed Stories Today
Arizona has had more than 1,000 cases of valley fever in the first two months of 2006, health officials say.
Usually, the state averages only about 2,700 cases per year.
There were 640 cases of valley fever this February - more than triple the five-year February average.
"We're kind of looking at this now as 'the year' for valley fever," state epidemiologist David Engelthaler said. "Over the past couple of months, it has really been the most dramatic increase that we've ever documented."
Engelthaler said both 2004 and 2005 had above-average numbers of cases of the infection, which could indicate a multi-season outbreak.
Valley fever is caused by a fungus in desert soil. When the soil is disturbed, the fungus releases spores that can lead to infection when inhaled.
Health officials can attribute some of the cases to growth in the state, Engelthaler said.
Construction stirs up spore-filled dust, while more and more people never before exposed to valley fever, found mostly in Arizona and California, are moving to the desert. Maricopa and Pima counties, with their population centers, are hot spots for the infection.
A very rainy start to 2005, followed by a record dry spell that extended into this year "probably has played a major factor in this dramatic increase," Engelthaler said.
Also contributing to the increase in reported cases is that health professionals are becoming more adept at identifying valley fever.
Research activity in the state focuses on identifying infection risk factors, determining the cause of the recent increase in cases and developing a preventive vaccine, Engelthaler said.
- Read All Comments » 0 TOTAL COMMENTS
- Post a Comment »