US states report major spike in deadly 'valley fever' as World Health Organization issues frightening list

Significant spikes in the number of reported cases of a dangerous fungal disease have left scientists worried, as it's on a frightening World Health Organization list of treatments that require urgent development.

Fungal illnesses are traditionally far more challenging to tackle than their bacterial alternatives, as fungus occupies many of the same characteristics found inside the human body, and therefore treatments can cause major health complications.

You'd be surprised to learn that many forms of fungus can have surprising health benefits, including one that inspired the zombie world of The Last of Us, but for every 'good' fungus there's also one that can be incredibly harmful when infected inside the human body.

One such example of this is observed in the rise in cases of what's known as 'valley fever', as many western coastal states across America have seen a dramatic spike in infections across the first few months of the year, as reported by the LA Times.

The rise in cases of 'valley fever' is linked to climate changes that affect desert soil (Getty Stock)

Known by its scientific name coccidiodomycosis, valley fever involves the infection of the Coccidioides fungus which is a microscopic organism typically found in 'disturbed' desert soil - specifically following certain cycles of drought and precipitation.

Other scientists also point towards fungus like Aspergillus which can trigger deadly lung disease, as the spread can also be linked to climate activity - specifically the rise in global temperatures as a consequence of climate change.

Across the first three months of 2025 there has been 3,123 reported cases of valley fever, which health officials indicate is roughly double the 10-year average for the same time period.

Medical experts have been able to predict the rise in cases by looking at weather patterns, as explained by George R. Thompson, a professor of medicine at UC Davis, who outlines that they "had sort of seen this coming, just based on the climate cycle of the last few years."

Doua Ge Yang, a spokesperson for the California Department of Public Health echoes this approach, indicating that increases were forseen "when there are are several years of drought in California, followed by a wet winter, and then a dry summer."

Thankfully, for most people valley fever isn't that far from the common cold or a mild flu when it comes to symptoms, but this can also make it challenging to recognize when it occurs, much like the spike in HMPV cases late last year.

It can be challenging to distinguish valley fever from the common cold or flu for most people, making it hard to spot (Getty Stock)

However, it can prove to be deadly when infecting individuals who are immunocompromised, especially those who have acquired conditions like HIV or have undergone chemotherapy.

The aforementioned difficulty of treating fungal diseases like valley fever can make these situations even more dangerous, as current anti-fungal medication can cross-react with kidney cells, leading to potential kidney failure as per the Express.

That's exactly why Coccidioides is among the World Health Organization's list of 19 different fungal species that desperately require the development of drugs for treatment, and it's importance couldn't be greater right now with the rise in cases.