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What You Need to Know

Summer in Southern California brings sunshine, outdoor fun—and a hidden health risk few expect: Valley Fever. With Valley Fever Awareness Month, this is a great time to learn how to recognize it, reduce your risk, and protect your loved ones. 

What is Valley Fever?

Valley Fever, or coccidioidomycosis (“cocci”) is an infection caused by breathing in a fungus that lives in the soil of dry, dusty areas. When soil is disturbed, tiny fungal spores can become airborne and be inhaled.

 This fungus is found in parts of: 

• Central and Southern California
• Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Southeast Washington
• Mexico, Central America, and South America

Who is at Risk?

Anyone who lives, works, or spends time in areas where the fungus is common can get Valley Fever. Certain activities and conditions increase the risk:

• People who work outdoors or disturb soil such as:
  • Construction crews, agricultural workers, firefighters, geologists, military personnel
• Outdoor enthusiasts, including:  
  • dirt bikers, ATV riders, hikers
• Certain groups are at higher risk of developing more severe illnesses including:
  • People of African American or Filipino descent Individuals with weakened immune systems
  • People with diabetes
  • Older adults

Real Stories: Valley Fever Hits Close to Home

Valley Fever can feel distant—until it impacts someone close to home. Here are examples showing how varied and unexpected exposures can be:

• Central Valley Resident: One woman living in the Central Valley—an area where Valley Fever is common—began experiencing a lingering cough and worsening fatigue over several weeks. Although she spent most of her time indoors, caring for animals and occasional outdoor work created exposure. After multiple medical visits, she was finally diagnosed more than a month after symptoms began.
• First Responder Experiences: Local first responders have faced Valley Fever firsthand. While responding to cleanup efforts related to earthquake aftermath, wildfires across the state or in other states, first responders - have been known to develop Valley Fever. Several have reported long delays before receiving a correct diagnosis, highlighting how easy Valley Fever is to miss. 
• A Severe Case: A Filipina woman in her 40s developed confusion, severe headaches, neck stiffness, and fever. She was initially treated for bacterial meningitis, but her condition worsened and she required specialized hospital care. Tests eventually revealed Valley Fever affecting her brain and spinal cord. Despite months of treatment, her illness was extremely severe, and she tragically passed away.

These stories are a reminder that Valley Fever can affect anyone—especially when activities or conditions stir up dusty soil where the fungus lives.

How Does It Spread?

When soil is disturbed, tiny fungal spores become airborne. Breathing them in can lead to infection in the lungs—and sometimes, other organs. Valley Fever is not contagious; you can’t catch it from another person.

What Are the Symptoms?

Symptoms usually appear 1–4 weeks after exposure and may include:

• Fatigue
• Cough
• Chest pain
• Fever
• Rash
• Headaches
• Joint aches
• Night sweats

Most people (about 60%) have mild or no symptoms. For others, symptoms can linger and may require medical treatment.

How Serious is Valley Fever?

Many infections are mild, but certain groups can develop severe or widespread disease. People of African or Filipino descent, older adults, those with diabetes, and individuals with weakened immune systems should receive treatment even for mild infection.

Severe or “disseminated” Valley Fever is rare but very serious. It can affect the brain (causing meningitis), bones, skin, or other organs and often requires lifelong treatment.

Why Is Valley Fever Often Missed?

Valley Fever can look like other types of pneumonia, but antibiotics do not help because it’s caused by a fungus. If symptoms persist, especially after dust exposure or travel to affected areas, ask your healthcare provider about Valley Fever. Blood tests, imaging, and a detailed exposure history help confirm the diagnosis.

Valley Fever in California

Cases are rising statewide. Wildfires disturb soil and create dust, increasing risks to those in affected areas where coccidiomycosis spores are in the soil. First responders and outdoor workers returning from endemic areas should be evaluated for Valley Fever if they develop symptoms.

Protect Yourself

• Avoid dusty areas, when possible, especially during windy conditions.
  • On windy and dusty days, keep windows and doors closed.
  • When driving through dusty areas, keep car windows closed and use recirculated air.
  • Control dust in your yard by covering open dirt areas with grass, plants or other ground cover.
• Wear a mask or respirator if you work or play outdoors in endemic regions.
• Seek medical advice if you develop symptoms after dust exposure.

Valley Fever is a part of life in many areas of California—but awareness and early care can make a big difference. As you enjoy the season, stay informed, take precautions, and look out for friends and family who may be at risk.

Learn More

For more information, visit the California Department of Public Health - Valley Fever is in California. 

Other resources

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - Valley Fever  

California Department of Industrial Relations - Protection from Valley Fever

Centers for Disease Control - Valley Fever  

Centers for Disease Control - Cocci Outbreak Among Wildland Firefighters

About Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong
Regina Chinsio-Kwong, DO (Dr. CK) is the County Health Officer for the OC Health Care Agency, where Dr. CK leads efforts to protect and improve community health. A board‑certified family physician with experience in primary care, integrative medicine, and Navy medicine Dr. CK transitioned from clinical practice to public health during the COVID‑19 pandemic and helped direct Orange County’s mass vaccination response. Dr. CK continues to focus on prevention and strengthening partnerships with clinicians and community organizations.

About Dr. Helene M. Calvet
Dr. Helene M. Calvet received her MD from UCLA and is board-certified in both internal medicine and infectious diseases. She has worked in the field of public health for over 25 years, having served in Long Beach as Health Officer and TB controller and in Orange County as Deputy Health Officer. Most recently, she worked in COVID response, leading a team that dealt with more than 500 outbreaks in Long Term Care Facilities, but since 2022, she has focused on TB Control. 

Currently, she serves as TB Controller and Medical Director of the TB Control Program in Orange County, and as TB Clinician in the Long Beach Health Department. She has published several articles, served on two Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Expert Panels and taught providers throughout Region IX and in 6 countries on public health topics.

(Santa Ana, CA) –Temperatures in Coastal Orange County are expected to reach 95°F, with Inland areas ranging from the mid‑90s up to 105°F through Friday, August 28.

High temperatures increase the risk of heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heatstroke for those at higher risk for heat illness, including people who work outdoors, infants, children, pregnant people, ages 65 or older, and people with chronic conditions.

Prolonged exposure to excessive temperatures may cause serious conditions like heat cramps or heatstroke and can even be fatal. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, muscle cramps, weakness, headache, nausea or vomiting and dizziness. Warning signs of heat stroke include an extremely high body temperature, unconsciousness, confusion, hot and dry skin (no sweating), a rapid pulse, and a throbbing headache.

If symptoms of heat stroke occur, immediately call for medical assistance. Move the person to a shady area and begin cooling their body with cool water.

Recommended precautions to prevent heat-related illnesses include the following:

• Drink plenty of water; don’t wait until you are thirsty.
•  Wear light, loose-fitting clothing.
• Stay out of the sun if possible, and when in the sun wear a wide brim hat and use sunscreen.
• Avoid strenuous activities if you are outside or in non-air-conditioned buildings. If you are working outdoors, take frequent rest and refreshment breaks in a shaded area.
• Never leave children, elderly people or pets unattended in closed cars or other vehicles.
• Check on those, like neighbors, who are at high risk to make sure they are staying cool – including seniors who live alone, people with heart or lung disease, and young children.
• Stay cool indoors – if your home is not air conditioned, visit public facilities such as shopping malls and libraries to stay cool. To find a cooling center near you, visit Cooling Centers | Orange County (ocgov.com).

Since temperatures and conditions can vary widely throughout the county, local schools, child care facilities, and organizations working with children are encouraged to visit the State of California Office of School Health Hub for heat planning guidance and sports and activities recommendations to protect students and youth during these high temperature alert periods.

For more information on heat-related illnesses, visit Health Corner - Heat Stroke Is No Joke And It Can Strike Anyone, CDPH Be Informed Extreme Heat and California HeatReadyCA.com.

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The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) is a regional interdisciplinary health jurisdiction and an accredited health department, charged with protecting and promoting individual, family and community health through partnership and coordination of public and private sector resources. Visit www.ochealthinfo.com to learn more about services and resources.

Source

(Santa Ana, CA) – The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) received confirmation of a measles case in an adult which was locally acquired from a known exposure. The individual visited several public locations during the infectious period including the following:
 
         8/11/26 – 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. – Anaheim Packing District
         8/14/26 – 5 p.m. - 8 p.m. – Fire and Ice restaurant, Anaheim
         8/14/26 – 10 p.m. - 12 midnight – BJ’s restaurant, Orange
         8/14/26 – 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. – The Escape Game Orange
         8/11/26 and 8/14/26 – 10:40 a.m. - 12 noon – UCI Health Fountain Valley Cafeteria
 
People who were in the locations above around the same time(s) should:

• Review whether they are immune to measles or not. People who are not fully immunized against measles or who don’t know if they are immune to measles already, should talk with a health care provider about receiving the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.
• Monitor themselves for illness with fever and/or an unexplained rash from 7 days to 21 days after their exposure (the time period when symptoms may develop); if symptoms develop, stay at home and call a health care provider immediately for guidance.
• Anyone who suspects they may have measles should call their medical provider before arriving at the medical office to avoid exposing others.
• Clinicians should immediately report any suspected measles cases to the OC Health Care Agency for guidance and testing coordination.

“Measles is highly contagious. Everyone 12 months and older should receive two doses of MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella). Infants less than a year old who are traveling internationally should receive one dose of MMR vaccine. Adults and others who are not immune remain at risk, especially as outbreaks continue across the country and worldwide,” said Dr. Anissa Davis, Deputy County Health Officer. “Vaccination is the best protection.”
 
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there have already been 2,566 confirmed measles cases in the United States in 2026. This marks the highest annual case count since measles was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, surpassing the 2,289 cases reported during the full year of 2025.  
 
Common symptoms include fever, cough, red watery eyes, and a rash that typically begins on the head before spreading to the rest of the body. Measles is the most contagious disease known, and it spreads very easily through the air and by direct contact with an infected person. People are contagious from approximately four days before the rash begins through four days after the rash appears.
 
Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent measles. About measles immunization:

• Immunizing household members, including children, adolescents, and adults, is the best way to protect infants who are too young to receive the MMR vaccine.
• Infants should receive their first MMR vaccine at 12-15 months of age. The second dose of MMR is given between 4 and 6 years of age, before starting school.
• Measles is found in many parts of the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas.
• Children 6 to 12 months of age who are traveling internationally are recommended to receive a dose of the MMR vaccine prior to travel, to decrease their risk of infection. Before travel to domestic measles outbreak areas, talk to a healthcare provider about following immunization recommendations for international travel.
• Children 12 months and older, as well as adults, should receive two doses, at least 28 days apart, before travel, if not already vaccinated.

 
For more information about measles, visit California Department of Public Health - Measles or OC Health Care Agency - Measles.
 
For additional resources:
 
OC Health Care Agency - Together We Can Prevent Measles
 
Measles Awareness Infographic: English, Spanish   

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The OC Health Care Agency (HCA) is a regional interdisciplinary health jurisdiction and an accredited health department, charged with protecting and promoting individual, family and community health through partnership and coordination of public and private sector resources. Visit www.ochealthinfo.com to learn more about services and resources.

Source

A case of measles has been confirmed in an adult resident of Orange County. This person is a contact to a known case. This is the 6th case of confirmed measles reported in an OC resident in 2026. In 2025 2 cases of measles were reported.

Key Message

• If measles is in the differential, providers should contact Communicable Disease Control Division (CDCD) immediately at 714-834-8180. We can expedite PCR testing at our public health lab with usual turn around times of 24 hours or less.

Measles is an acute viral illness typically presenting with fever, cough, coryza, and conjunctivitis, followed 3-5 days later by a rash. The maculopapular rash typically begins on the face and spreads down the torso and out to the extremities. The incubation period for measles ranges from 7-21 days after exposure and individuals are infectious from 4 days prior to rash onset until 4 days after rash onset. Measles is highly contagious and spreads via airborne transmission.

Individuals can be presumed to be immune to measles if they were 1) born prior to 1957 OR 2) have received two doses of measles containing vaccine OR 3) have documented positive IgG titer OR 4) documentation of prior disease.

Evidence of immunity should not preclude considering measles in anyone with clinically compatible illness, particularly if they have a history of measles exposure. More info...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is issuing this Health Alert Network (HAN) Health Advisory to share information and notify clinicians, public health authorities, and the public about the risk of severe arboviral neuroinvasive disease among patients who are receiving B cell-depleting or B cell-modulating medications, particularly anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Patients and their providers should be aware of this risk to help patients protect themselves against the bites of mosquitoes and ticks, which can increase patients’ risk of arboviral disease.

View the full report.

Key Messages

• California Department of Public Health (CDPH) urges clinicians and local health departments to remain vigilant for acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), which presents as sudden limb weakness usually in children and can lead to permanent paralysis.
• Increased summer travel and gatherings may elevate circulation of respiratory pathogens, including enterovirus D68 (EV‑D68), a virus previously associated with AFM surges.
• Although AFM and EV‑D68 activity remain low in 2026, providers should stay alert for potential increases in EV‑D68 respiratory disease and subsequent AFM cases.
• Clinicians should also consider poliovirus in patients with sudden limb weakness and obtain whole‑stool samples, especially when patients are under‑vaccinated or unvaccinated.
• Clinicians who suspect AFM in a patient should notify Communicable Disease Control Division at (714) 834-8180.

Full Advisory: Stay Alert for Acute Flaccid Myelitis in Late Summer and Early Fall