California EDM festival is hit with deadly fungus outbreak that has hospitalized three and left one with 'a hole in my lung'

Thousands of group who attended a celebrated California music show are being warned they whitethorn person been exposed to a life-threatening fungus. 

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) said it is investigating a cluster of Valley Fever cases identified among attendees of nan euphony show Lightning successful a Bottle successful Buena Vista Lake, which was held from May 21 to 25. 

More than 20,000 group attended nan arena and 5 person been diagnosed pinch Valley Fever. Three of nan infected person been hospitalized.  

Valley fever - which sewage its sanction because a mostly of cases are recovered successful Arizona and California - is a deadly infection that kills 1 successful 100 people that statement it. 

It is caused by nan fungus Coccidioides, which releases spores into nan aerial erstwhile ungraded is disturbed that are past inhaled by people. There is nary person-to-person transmission. 

The CDPH said: 'Additional cases linked to attendance astatine nan outdoor show are possible.'

The section added: 'Overall, cases of Valley fever successful California person accrued substantially complete nan past 2 years, truthful CDPH is asking attendees of this show to complete a voluntary survey, moreover if they don't person immoderate symptoms.'  

Officials did not make nationalist immoderate accusation astir patients, but a Reddit personification claims to beryllium one.

About 18 days aft returning from nan festival, they were hospitalized pinch a terrible lung infection and knowledgeable fevers, aches and a cough.   

The personification called Valley Fever 'no joke' and said it was 'causing a cavity (a hole) to shape wrong my correct lung.' 

Another personification commented connected nan station saying they excessively had gotten Valley Fever and person been 'insanely sick.'

One poster said her hubby had been infected and developed fluid successful his thorax and astir his lungs. His symptoms began June 5 and he was hospitalized connected June 12. He was yet sent location July 1 but will beryllium connected antifungal treatments 'for months.' 

Multiple users said nan show organizers should relocate going guardant because of nan prevalence of nan fungus successful nan area and nan dusty conditions of nan event.  

Most group pinch nan mild shape of Valley Fever will not recognize they person nan unwellness because its symptoms — fatigue, cough, fever, aching muscles and breathlessness — mimic those of a respiratory microorganism infection.

Other symptoms see nighttime sweats, associated aches and a reddish rash, usually connected nan legs but occasionally connected nan chest, arms and back. 

The disease, for which location is nary preventative vaccine, tin often beryllium missed by doctors aliases misdiagnosed arsenic pneumonia.

But up to 10 percent of infections go terrible and return months to retrieve from.

In these cases, known arsenic disseminated coccidioidomycosis, nan illness tin dispersed done nan bloodstream to different parts of nan body, including nan brain, tegument and liver. 

If it infects nan membranes and fluid astir nan encephalon it tin origin life-threatening meningitis.

There is nary proven curen for Valley Fever and patients are usually prescribed remainder and fixed therapies to negociate symptoms. 

Doctors whitethorn prescribe antifungal medications, but location is nary grounds from objective tests that show these treatments are effective - and antifungal narcotics travel pinch nan imaginable for superior broadside effects. 

California wellness officials are encouraging group who visited nan area astir nan show - adjacent nan metropolis of Bakersfield and successful Kern County - and are experiencing respiratory symptoms to sojourn a expert and inquire astir being evaluated for Valley Fever.

The section said: 'Be judge to mention attendance astatine nan euphony show aliases recreation to Kern County wherever Valley Fever is common.'

While only 5 cases person been detected, location are apt more. 

Mild cases of nan fungus successful group who contracted it astatine nan arena 2 months agone could person already resolved and others still experiencing symptoms could still beryllium undiagnosed. 

The number of Valley Fever cases peaked for nan first clip successful a decade successful 2021. The 20,970 recorded instances were nan astir connected grounds for a azygous twelvemonth since nan past highest successful 2011. 

Instances declined successful 2022 but picked backmost up past year, and experts are concerned complete an expected surge of nan fungus successful nan coming decades.  

The CDC estimates Valley Fever could infect much than half a cardinal Americans each twelvemonth successful nan future.

The agency said that owed to rising temperatures crossed nan globe, nan endemic region of nan illness will dispersed northbound to see barren occidental areas. Other experts fearfulness that it could beryllium endemic successful 17 states by 2100.