In 2024, 19 people caught Valley Fever during the Lightning in a Bottle festival. This annual Lightning in a Bottle music festival will be taking place May 21- May 24, at Buena Vista Lake, Calif. this year.  

CalMatters explains that Valley Fever, or coccidioidomycosis, is a lung infection caused by inhaling microscopic Coccidioides spores from soil. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that Coccidioides fungi grow in soil after heavy rainfall and disperse into the air when the weather becomes hot and dry. The Coccidioides fungi live in soil in the Southwestern United States and are highly prevalent in Southern Arizona and the southern part of California’s San Joaquin Valley, which is where Lightning in a Bottle is held. 

The California Department of Public Health states that symptoms of this sickness include fatigue, fever, chest pain, and exhaustion. In addition, CDC states that in severe cases, the infection can spread to other parts of the body, including the brain, skin, and bones.  

For this upcoming Lightning in a Bottle, guests should bring a face mask, such as a surgical mask, a bandana, or an N95 respirator. The CDPH states that people can buy N95 respirators at drugstores, hardware supply stores, and online. 

Festival guests should seek shelter, for instance in vehicles or tents, during windy periods. The CDC suggests thoroughly cleaning any skin wounds with soap and water and advice festivalgoers should change out of their festival clothes and avoid shaking them before washing them. 

Preventive measures to avoid contracting the infection include keeping car doors and windows closed while driving through dusty areas, avoiding outdoor activities that involve working with dirt, covering dirt areas around one’s house, and avoiding dusty climates, such as construction sites. 

Dr. Tomás Aragón, the CDHP director and state public health officer, told CNN, “If you have a lingering cough and fatigue, please talk to a doctor about Valley Fever, especially if you’ve been outdoors in dusty air in the Central Valley or Central Coast regions.” 

Those worried they have the infection should contact their healthcare provider for testing.  

Health-care providers will collect a blood sample to test for Valley Fever and may also perform a skin test. A skin test includes a small injection of an antigen into the patient’s forearm. After two days, the healthcare provider will examine the size of the bump to determine whether the patient is infected. The CDC states that a positive skin test result indicates whether a person has Valley Fever or has had it in the past. The test may also show a negative result if they have had a severe case of Valley Fever or are taking certain medications to aid other health issues. 

According to the CDC, oftentimes people with the infection recover on their own within a few months without medication. In severe cases, healthcare providers may prescribe oral antifungal medications such as fluconazole. In extreme situations, when the infection has spread throughout the body, hospital treatment is required and usually takes longer than six months. Untreated Valley Fever can develop into meningitis.  

People at higher risk of catching Valley Fever are those who have weakened immune systems, like those positive for HIV, have an organ transplant, or are taking certain anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive medications like Corticosteroids and TNF-inhibitors. The CDC states that people who are African American, Filipino, pregnant, over 60 years old, or diabetic are at higher risk of Valley Fever.