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Woman fighting valley fever: 'my life has been on hold'

July 22, 2014
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) - Shannon Smotherman wants to share her experience with valley fever, raising awareness of the serious disease. She started to have symptoms of valley fever in December 2013 but tested negative several times. She visited the doctor several times but was...

'First Look': Walk to bring awareness to valley fever

July 22, 2014
By THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN Valley fever is an orphan disease, one that does not get a lot of research money. It can change your life forever. "It's a bad disease, worse than people think and you'll be on drugs for the rest of your life," said Paula Einstein, a valley...

Local Valley fever research to be published in scientific journal

July 17, 2014
Researchers at UC Merced and UCSF-Fresno recently completed a literature review on Valley Fever, scheduled to be published later this month in the scientific journal “Microbes and Infection.” “Valley Fever: Danger Lurking in a Dust Cloud” is a 34-page article that gathers...

Fungal disease ‘Valley Fever’ proves tricky to diagnose

July 6, 2014
  Transcript: VALERIE GOROSPE: It was the very first weekend of May and she woke up from her sleep just not feeling good and then she was just really tired and she had a cough that wouldn’t go away. Finally, there was a doctor that said this isn’t pneumonia. But he knew just by...

Valley fever fears rise after dust storm

July 5, 2014
PHOENIX -- Now that the dust has settled, it's stirring up new health concerns. Hundreds of people gathering for a family-friendly fireworks show on July 3 in Ahwatukee may have exposed themselves to more than a little holiday fun when a massive dust storm rolled through. After being...

Gorilla treated for valley fever at LA zoo

June 20, 2014
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jabari, a western lowland gorilla living at the Los Angeles Zoo, is on the mend after receiving treatment for a severe case of valley fever. The great ape has had the fungal infection for about three years and had lost about a fifth of his body weight, the Los Angeles...

Valley fever research eligible for new federal funding

June 11, 2014
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has decided to include the fungus that causes valley fever on a list of qualifying pathogens mandated by the Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now, or GAIN, Act. The law created incentives for the development of antibiotics to treat new and emerging drug-...

Experts don't believe dust storms increase Valley Fever cases

May 20, 2014
TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - As always, high winds increase dust in the air and that makes some people wonder if those wind storms are creating more cases of Valley Fever.    Valley Fever is a disease caused when we inhale a fungus that lives in the desert soil. Almost all...

How to Avoid Arizona’s Valley Fever

May 16, 2014
If you live in Arizona, you’ve no doubt heard of valley fever, the respiratory illness caused by spores in the dry, dusty desert air. Fortunately, there are ways to protect yourself, especially if you enjoy being outdoors. For most people, valley fever is an inconvenience, causing flu-like...

Valley fever fungus causes concern in E. Oregon

May 13, 2014
There are no confirmed cases of valley fever originating from Oregon, but officials expect to find the Coccidioides fungus with a little more digging. A fungus that causes the potentially fatal illness known as valley fever has been found in southeastern Washington state, and health officials...

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