By Chloe Jones
More San Luis Obispo County residents were diagnosed with Valley fever in 2024 than ever before, the Public Health Department announced Tuesday.
According to a news release from the agency, 482 cases were reported in 2024 — nearly double the 244 cases reported in 2023.
The previous year with with the highest count was 2017, with 445 cases, the agency said.
“This increase is not unexpected, as Valley fever is known to increase after periods of drought followed by heavy rain,” Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said in a news release. “We’ve been working to ensure our healthcare providers and community know to be on the lookout for this disease and know how to reduce your risk.”
If residents experience flu-like symptoms such as a fever and cough for more than a few weeks, they should talk with their healthcare provider and ask to be tested for Valley fever, Borenstein said.
The fungus that causes Valley fever lives naturally in San Luis Obispo County soil and neighboring counties, the public health department said. It also lives in the soil in California’s Central Valley region and parts of the southwest.
When soil is disturbed — like by wind, digging or driving — people can breathe in dust that has fungus spores, which can lead to infection, the agency said.
Around 60% of people who get Valley fever do not experience symptoms and do not need treatment. Around 30% to 40% develop sudden flu-like symptoms and get well on their own without medical treatment.
One percent of people experience a more serious form of the disease where the infection spreads throughout the body, the release said.
Large amounts of rainfall following periods of drought can increase the amount of fungus growing in the soil, the agency said, which increases the risk of valley fever.
How to reduce risk of contracting Valley fever
Valley fever cannot be spread from one person or animal to the other, but animals can become infected with the disease the same way people can, the public health department said.
“The best way to reduce your risk is to avoid breathing dust in the air,” the release said. “It would be nearly impossible to avoid all exposure to dirt, but you can limit your risk.”
The agency advises residents to avoid areas with lots of dust, especially on windy days. If someone does need to spend time in a dusty area they should take precautions like wearing a N95 mask and dampening soil to prevent it from entering the air.
Residents should also close their windows when driving in areas with high winds or visible dust and set the air conditioning to recirculate.
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Chloe Jones is a courts and crime reporter at the San Luis Obispo Tribune. She is originally from Phoenix, where she earned her B.A. in journalism and M.A. in investigative journalism at Arizona State University. When she’s not reporting, she loves exploring the outdoors and spoiling her two rescue dogs, Camilla and Bugsy Malone.
