Fungal outbreak at California music festival
Key Takeaways
Many attendees of a California music festival came down with Valley fever in early summer 2024.
Valley fever is a fungal infection caused by breathing in spores of the Coccidioides fungus, which is endemic to the southwestern US.
The presence of the Coccidioides fungus has grown in recent years, raising environmental and public health concerns. While most cases of Valley fever resolve on their own, some people experience more severe symptoms—including death.
Multiple people developed Valley fever after attending California’s Lightning in a Bottle music festival in May 2024.[] Experts say the outbreak highlights the growing presence of the illness, which may be related to climate change.
Spores proliferate
Valley fever is a fungal infection caused by the Coccidioides fungus, which lives in the soil and is endemic to areas in the southwestern United States, including California.[] People can contract Valley fever if they breathe in spores of the Coccidioides fungus. Spores can be released into the air through disruptions like gardening, farming, construction, animal activity—and even music festivals.[]
The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has reported five cases of Valley fever following Lightning in a Bottle.[] However, given there were more than 20,000 attendees at the festival, officials reportedly suspect that case numbers are higher.[]
CDPH released a survey for event attendees and workers, through which they hope to reach people who have been diagnosed with—or who have otherwise been experiencing symptoms of—Valley fever after the event.[]
Valley fever signs and symptoms
People who develop Valley fever may not know they have the infection right away. Symptoms can take 1 to 3 weeks (in some cases, months) to develop after an initial infection, and can last for weeks to months.[]
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some symptoms of Valley fever include:
Fatigue
Cough
Fever and headache
Shortness of breath
Night sweats
Muscle aches or joint pain
Upper body or leg rash
Sherrill Brown, MD, the medical director of infection prevention at AltaMed Health Services in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, explains that some symptoms can look similar to those of bacterial pneumonia. However, because Valley fever is a fungal infection and not a bacterial infection, it cannot be treated with standard antibiotics. Instead, treatment can involve a prolonged course (3 to 6 months) of antifungal medications. Not everyone who contracts Valley fever will need treatment, and some cases resolve on their own.
In rare but dangerous scenarios, Valley fever survivors can experience serious or long-term lung complications. According to the CDC, this occurs in about 5% to 10% of people who contract the infection.[]
Certain populations face a higher risk of severe complications from Valley fever. This includes individuals over the age of 60, Black or Filipino individuals, those with health conditions that compromise the immune system—such as HIV or cancer—and individuals undergoing medical treatments that affect immune function, including chemotherapy or steroid therapy, according to CPHC.[]
People who are pregnant, particularly those in the later stages of pregnancy, are also at higher risks for severe complications from Valley fever.
Additionally, Valley fever can, on rare occasions, spread from the lungs to other parts of the body, including the central nervous system, skin, or bones and joints. This happens in about 1% of people who contract the infection, according to the CDC. It can also develop into meningitis, which can be fatal.[]
HCPs can consider Valley fever in their differential diagnosis when assessing patients in areas where Coccidioides fungal organisms are endemic.
What this means for you
Multiple people developed Valley fever after attending a California music festival this May. Valley fever cases in California have risen in recent years, which may be the result of global warming and climate change. Early intervention and treatment of Valley fever can help reduce risks of fatal outcomes.