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DiscussionDoes anyone have Valley Fever?
Infectious Diseases | Last Active: May 27, 2025 | Replies (7)Comment receiving replies
Replies to "Thank you for sharing your experience with FV. Yes my son has disseminated FV. He is..."
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When I caught VF, we were living in north-central Phoenix, AZ. Not far from the I-17 and Happy Valley Road. They were doing a TON of new construction out there, so digging-up and moving massive amounts of earth for many months. That (all the dust and stuff getting kicked up) is almost certainly the culprit. Coccidioides lives in the soil, and deep soil disturbances can kick it up into the air to be breathed in.
It was a primary care physician at the Mayo Clinic Family Medicine Arrowhead clinic that knew to test me for VF. My usual PC was on vacation at the time, so I saw someone else and can't remember exactly who it was, but most doctors in the West & Southwest will be familiar with VF.
Though knowledge of VF is spreading (as is VF itself) throughout other parts of the country, it's still best-known in the western regions, where it's endemic.
After getting onto oral Fluconazole, I was scheduled for a couple check-ins (virtually) with the Infectious Diseases folks at the Mayo Clinic's AZ campus (don't remember if it was the Phoenix or Scottsdale campus). That was more for tracking my case though (they report such cases to the CDC), as well as to simply answer my myriad questions.
Since my case never became disseminated, I didn't need their expertise beyond that.
The University of Arizona has its "Valley Fever Center for Excellence" (https://vfce.arizona.edu/)... but I don't believe they see or treat patients. I think it's just a research endeavor, but that may have changed in recent years. Might be worth looking into.