Valley fever cases are skyrocketing in California, with this year’s tally already far exceeding the number recorded in all of 2023 and set to climb even higher once figures from the typically active month of December are reported.
As of the end of November, 11,076 valley fever cases had been confirmed statewide, a 20% increase compared to last year’s total and a nearly 47% jump from 2022, according to state health data .
Valley fever is caused by inhaling spores of coccidioides, a fungal pathogen that thrives in the drier and dustier regions of the state. The fungus is released when the dry soil where it grows is disturbed…