Over A Century of Valley Fever

San Joaquin Valley Fever is a human disease caused by the fungus, Coccidioides immitis. This fungus and its sister species, Coccidioides posadasii, are found in hot, dry regions from the San Joaquin Valley of California, through Southern California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Mexico, Central America and South America. Coccidioidomycosis was first discovered in 1892 in an Argentinian soldier. Two years later two researchers recognized a similar case in a Portuguese immigrant farm laborer working in the San Joaquin Valley of Central California. In Kern County, the first case recognized and reported occurred in August, 1901. Discoveries arose from careful epidemiologic and clinical investigations in the San Joaquin Valley during the 1930s and research continues today.

Speaker: John Taylor, UC Berkeley, Emeritus