Officials Expect a Rise in Valley Fever

Heavy rains and landslides have prompted public health officials to forecast a rise in cases of valley fever, the flu-like illness that struck residents at five times the normal rate following last year’s Northridge earthquake.

Shifting ground releases the fungus that spreads the disease, according to the Ventura County Public Health Department.

“When the earth moves, there is a possibility that the fungus that causes this illness will be airborne,” said Ellen Dewey, a Ventura County public health nurse. “As long as the fungus remains in the solid ground, people cannot breathe it in.”

The illness is accompanied by fever, chills, cough and sometimes a rash, medical experts said. In the most serious cases, it can lead to death.

“Most people that get this illness are not seriously ill and may not seek any medical intervention at all,” Dewey said. “We just want to heighten people’s awareness so that if they have persistent symptoms they seek medical care.”

There were 243 cases of valley fever reported in Ventura County last year, up from 52 in 1993, according to county records. In 1992, there were 60 reported cases, but between 1989 and 1991, just 16 people were diagnosed with the illness.