Center to study Valley fever opens in Phoenix
Aug 1, 2012, 12:54 PM | Updated: 12:54 pm
PHOENIX — Valley fever cases jumped last year by 30 percent over 2010 and in response the University of Arizona and St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center have opened the Valley Fever Center in Phoenix.
Dr. Priya Radhakrishnan of St. Joseph’s said most people who come down with Valley fever will think it’s the flu. There were more than 16,000 cases of Valley fever reported in the state last year.
“You’re exposed for life,” said Radhakrishnan, “and it can potentially come back if your immunity drops. It’s very similar to tuberculosis.”
She expects that number to be higher this year given the number of dust storms that have hit the Valley.
Symptoms of Valley fever include headache, body aches, and “a cough that won’t go away,” Radhakrishnan said.
More than 80 percent of the state’s Valley fever cases occur in Maricopa County, the most populous county.
