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Reposted by Ghjuvan Grimaud

Science Magazine @science.org · 29/01/2025

Valley fever is caused by the soil-dwelling fungus Coccidioides, which outcompetes other microbes in dry, hot conditions and is endemic in the U.S. Southwest. The fungus has recently been found as far north as Washington state, and modelers predict further spread. Learn more: scim.ag/4glyCGK

Illustration showing an example of valley fever. Panel 1: a person walking with their dog. Panel 2: the dog digs in a rodent burrow. Caption: Hidden thread: Coccidoides spores are relatively abundant in burrows of rodents that may be the fungus's primary host. Panel 3: An inset shows a close-up of the fungus. Caption: Spore shedders: The fungus is made of threadlike filaments called hyphae. Panel 4: An illustration of the person from panel 1 from the waist up, showing spores entering their airways and traveling into their lungs. Caption: Microscopic spores are easily inhaled when dirt is disturbed. Panel 5: An inset showing the parasitic lifecycle of Coccidoides inside the lung. Caption: Toxic expansion: In the lung, the spores grow into spherules in which dozens of endospores develop. Matures spherules rupture to restart the cycle. Pneumonia is the most common result.

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