Arrival of monsoon brings rise of Valley fever
Jun 10, 2013, 2:33 PM | Updated: 2:33 pm
PHOENIX – The scorching heat is not the only thing we have worry about this season in the state of Arizona.
According to ABC15.com, changes in weather conditions during monsoon season bring not only dust storms and heavy rain, but also fungi that can enter our respiratory systems and cause Valley fever.
But how can you tell if you have it?
Dr. John Galgiani, Director of the University of Arizona’s Valley Fever Center for Excellence says that symptoms like sweat, coughing, chest pain, night sweats and fever are some of the most common symptoms.
ABC 15 reports that two-thirds of all infections occur in Arizona, and out of those, 80 percent show up in Maricopa County alone.
Dr. Galgiani says that most people get over the symptoms:
“but a small percentage go on to have these very serious problems. There’s approximately 400 of those a year in Arizona and approximately 100 deaths a year from this disease,”
Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weak immune systems are more prone to getting the disease.
