Also called: Coccidioidomycosis
Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Valley Fever
Valley Fever is a disease caused by a fungus (or mold) called Coccidioides. The fungi live in the soil of dry areas like the southwestern U.S. You get it from inhaling the spores of the fungus. The infection cannot spread from person to person.
Anyone can get Valley Fever. But it's most common among older adults, especially those 60 and older. People who have recently moved to an area where it occurs are at highest risk for infection. Other people at higher risk include:
- Workers in jobs that expose them to soil dust. These include construction workers, agricultural workers, and military forces doing field training.
- African Americans and Asians
- Women in their third trimester of pregnancy
- People with weak immune systems
Valley Fever is often mild, with no symptoms. If you have symptoms, they may include a flu-like illness, with fever, cough, headache, rash, and muscle aches. Most people get better within several weeks or months. A small number of people may develop a chronic lung or widespread infection.
Valley Fever is diagnosed by testing your blood, other body fluids, or tissues. Many people with the acute infection get better without treatment. In some cases, doctors may prescribe antifungal drugs for acute infections. Severe infections require antifungal drugs.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
It sits within Infections.
The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Valley Fever
103 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research currently under way
- Pathogenesis and Genetics of Disseminated or Refractory CoccidioidomycosisNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
- Olorofim in Early Coccidioidal MeningitisFariba Donovan
- A Study to Characterize the Clinical Presentation and Course of Cryptosporidium in Pediatric ParticipantsNovartis Pharmaceuticals
- Study Testing the Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of EDI048 in Cryptosporidium Infection Model in Healthy AdultsNovartis Pharmaceuticals
- A Phase II Randomized Study to Evaluate Measures for Endpoint Derivation in Patients With Progressive or Refractory Disseminated Coccidioidomycosis (DCM ) Treated With Olorofim Plus Baseline SOC or Placebo Plus Baseline SOCF2G Ltd
- Nitazoxanide for Treatment of Cryptosporidium in ChildrenJohns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Research already completed
- Pregnancy and Congenital ToxoplasmosisHospices Civils de Lyon
- Analysis of Cerebrospinal Fluid in Patients With Cerebral Toxoplasmosis at CHSD (2004-2024)Centre Hospitalier de Saint-Denis
- Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of Ibrexafungerp in Patients With Fungal Diseases That Are Refractory to or Intolerant of Standard Antifungal TreatmentScynexis, Inc.
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- About Valley FeverCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Valley FeverMayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
Diagnosis and Tests
- Fungal Culture TestNational Library of Medicine
- Tests for Lung DiseaseNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Prevention and Risk Factors
- Reducing Risk for Valley FeverCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Statistics and Research
- Reported Cases of Valley FeverCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: CoccidioidomycosisNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Coccidioidomycosis. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Valley Fever, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.