Fourteen people have been diagnosed with Valley Fever after an EDM and art festival in California.
The California Department of Public Health told NBC News that at least three people who attended Skrillex’s Lightning in a Bottle festival in May were hospitalized with a pneumonia-like illness caused by coccidioides spores.
Eric Mattson, 33, who attended the outdoor festival near Bakersfield, told the outlet, “About a week after coming back from the festival, I just got crazy body aches and a crazy fever.”
Mattson, who tested positive for valley fever last month, said: “I would wake up, like, two to three times a night, just drenched in sweat. I would have to change my sheets and change my pajamas while in a ton of pain. It was pretty awful.”
Image of coccidioid spore, which causes valley fever.
Getty
The world is ‘going in the wrong direction’ as the effects of climate change worsen, the UN warns
Valley fever cases are on the rise as climate change causes drier environments in places like California and Arizona – creating favorable conditions for the spores to spread.
One study noted that an increase in dust storms, specifically, helps spores spread and become airborne, making it easier for people to inhale them and get sick.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“Since 2000, the number of cases has increased from less than 1,000 cases to more than 9,000 cases in 2019,” says the California Department of Public Health.
In the first half of this year, there were already 5,370 cases, according to the HZJZ report.
Although the US Centers for Disease Control points out that many people exposed to coccidioides spores do not develop symptoms, those who do may experience fatigue, cough, fever, headache, night sweats and a rash on the upper body or legs.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(1057x682:1059x684)/generic-thermometer-with-fever-reading-080924-256eaa14b1b647e3a11e1b697321419c.jpg)
Image of a thermometer showing a high temperature.
Getty
23 shocking photos of our planet in danger
It can take up to three weeks for symptoms to appear, the CDC says — and up to 10% of those who get valley fever “will develop serious or long-term lung problems.”
And while the number of valley fever cases appears to be on the rise, the CDC notes that it is often “misdiagnosed or undiagnosed,” since the symptoms mimic those typically caused by pneumonia or the flu.
The PEOPLE Puzzler has arrived! How fast can you solve it? Play now!
This can result in “delaying treatment when needed,” the CDC says, and treatment for more serious cases can include anti-fungal medication for months — and in some cases, for life.
“Valley fever that develops into meningitis is fatal if left untreated,” the CDC says, “so life-long treatment with antifungal medications is necessary in these cases.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education