14 People Diagnosed with Fungal Infection After California Music Festival

Mar. 15, 2025

Stock image of a music festival.Photo:Getty

Getty

Fourteen people have been diagnosed with the fungal infectionValley Feverfollowing an EDM and arts festival in California.

Eric Mattson, 33, who attended the outdoor festival near Bakersfield, told the outlet, “About a week after getting back from the festival, I just got hit with crazy body aches and crazy fevers.”

Mattson, who tested positive for Valley Fever last month, said, “I would wake up, like, two to three times a night, just soaking in sweat. I would have to change my bedding and change my pajamas while in a ton of pain. It was pretty awful.”

Stock image of the spore coccidioides, which causes Valley Fever.Getty

Cases of Valley Fever are growing, as climate change is causing a drier environment in places like California and Arizona — creating hospitable conditions for thesporeto spread.

One studyhighlighted that an increase in dust storms, specifically, is helping the spore to spread and become airborne, making it easier for people inhale it and get sick.

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“Since 2000, the number of cases has increased from less than 1,000 cases to more than 9,000 cases in 2019,” the California Department of Public Health says.

There have already been 5,370 cases in the first half of this year, according to areport from the CDPH.

Although theU.S. Centers for Disease Controlpoints out that many people exposed to the coccidioides spore do not develop symptoms, those who do may experience fatigue, a cough, fever, headache, night sweats, and a rash on their upper body or legs.

Stock image of a thermometer indicating a high fever.Getty

Symptoms can take up to three weeks to show up, the CDC says — and up to 10% of those who get Valley Fever “will develop serious or long-term problemsin their lungs.”

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This can result in “delaying treatment when needed,” the CDC says, and treatment for more serious cases can involve antifungal medication for months — and in some cases, for life.

“Valley fever that develops into meningitis is fatal if it’s not treated,” theCDCsays, “so lifelong antifungal treatment is necessary for those cases.”

source: people.com