The county public health department announced there has been a rise in residents diagnosed with valley fever this previous year, more than any other year in the past decade.
The health department says 482 cases were reported in 2024, which is nearly double that in 2023. The second highest in the past ten years was 445 cases in 2017, steadily dropping down to 144 cases by 2022.
The public health department says the fungus that causes valley fever lives in the soil in San Luis Obispo county and the central valley region. People can breathe in dust that contains spores from the fungus when dust is picked up from wind. About 60% of people do not experience any symptoms, and 30 to 40% develop flu-like symptoms and get well on their own. However, about one percent of people who have symptoms will see the infection spread throughout the body, leading to a more serious infection.
The health department says the best way to avoid valley fever is avoid or protect yourself from breathing dust.
