Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis)
什麼是Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis)
Coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley Fever, “San Joaquin Valley fever” or “desert rheumatism”, is a fungal infection that occurs when the spores that are the reproductive form of the fungus Coccidioides immitis enter the body through the lungs. Most of these infections (60%) develop little or no symptoms and heal completely without need for specific treatment. Rarely (less than 1%), the infection may spread from the lungs through the bloodstream to involve other organs. This form of Valley Fever is known as disseminated coccidioidomycosis and is a more severe disease. People over 60 years of age are at higher risk of developing a more serious form of this infection.
您如何獲得Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis)？
The fungus that causes Valley Fever lives in dust and soil in the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico and Central and South America. People can get infected by the fungus when they breathe in the microscopic fungal spores from the air when the soil is disturbed, especially during dry periods.
易感性和抵抗力
Anyone is susceptible to Valley Fever. Certain people are more likely to develop more severe forms of Valley Fever, including people who have weakened immune systems (such as those with HIV/AIDS, who have had an organ transplant, and who are taking medications like corticosteroids), pregnant women, people with diabetes, and people who are Black or Filipino. Recovery from Valley Fever generally leads to lifelong immunity.
有哪些症狀？
Most infected people (60%) do not show any symptoms. Of those that do, most develop flu-like symptoms that usually go away on their own after a few weeks. These symptoms include fatigue, cough, fever, shortness of breath, headache, night sweats, muscle and joint aches, and rash on upper body or legs. The spores can also enter through a cut or wound and cause a skin infection, but this only occurs in extremely rare cases.
A small percentage of people develop a more severe form of Valley Fever. In approximately 5 to 10% of people, the infection can cause serious and long-term lung problems. In about 1% of people, the infection spreads to other parts of the body, such as the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), skin, or bones and joints.
預防措施
在真菌孢子生活在土壤和塵土中的地區，很難防止其被吸入，但是即使在多塵地區，發芽谷熱的風險也很低。風險較高的人可能會通過避免在流行地區的粉塵中呼吸而降低感染的機會。旅行者可以採取一些簡單的措施來避免吸入灰塵，例如，避開灰塵多的區域或在這些區域（建築或挖掘現場）佩戴N95防毒面具，在沙塵暴期間呆在室內並關閉窗戶，避免進行以下活動：與污垢或灰塵緊密接觸（園藝或挖掘），在室內進行空氣過濾，用肥皂和水徹底清洗皮膚損傷，並根據醫療保健提供者的建議服用預防性的抗真菌藥物。
治療
In most people with Valley Fever, the symptoms are not severe and will go away within a few weeks without the need for treatment. Some healthcare providers may prescribe antifungal medication to reduce symptoms or prevent them from getting worse, particularly for people who are at high risk of developing a more severe infection.
通常在哪裡發生？
球藻類真菌生活在美國西南部，墨西哥以及中南美洲的某些地區的灰塵和土壤中。在美國，這種真菌生活在亞利桑那州，加利福尼亞州，內華達州，新墨西哥州，德克薩斯州和猶他州。最近在華盛頓州中南部也發現了它。
