More than 20,000 attendees on the California Lightning in a Bottle music competition might have been uncovered to a harmful fungal sickness.
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is investigating 5 instances of Valley fever that occurred amongst individuals who traveled via Kern County to attend the May 22-27 at Buena Vista Lake, close to town of Bakersfield.
So far, three folks have been hospitalized, however extra instances linked to attendance on the competition are attainable, authorities stated to the Fox Weather channel, which first reported the story.
Valley fever signs embody cough, fever, fatigue, issue respiration, and chest ache. There are about 200 deaths a 12 months as a result of illness. The illness just isn’t contagious and might’t unfold from human to human.
“Those are mostly people with severe immunocompromising illnesses underlying this infection,” stated Dr. Brad Perkins, chief medical officer at Karius, an organization that gives superior diagnostics for infectious ailments. “It can be a devastating infection in those people. That’s pretty rare, fortunately.”
Lightning in a Bottle attendees share particulars about any sickness on the CDPH Valley fever survey web site.
The infectious illness is attributable to the Coccidioides fungus that grows within the soil and filth in some areas of California.
“While most people exposed to this fungus do not develop Valley fever, the fungus can infect the lungs and cause respiratory symptoms, including cough, difficulty breathing, fever, and tiredness or fatigue,” the CDPH experiences.
Past Valley fever outbreaks have been linked to inhaling mud and filth at out of doors occasions in sure components of California the place Valley fever is widespread.