Dangerous fungus spreads at popular California music festival

Festival-goers, beware: California wellness officials are informing that thousands who attended a celebrated outdoor euphony show whitethorn person been exposed to a vulnerable and perchance deadly fungus.

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) connected Monday released a statement informing that cases of Valley fever are linked to nan Lightning successful a Bottle festival, which took spot astatine Buena Vista Lake, Calif., from May 21 to 25.

The physics euphony festival, held astir 170 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles, featured artists specified arsenic Fatboy Slim, Skrillex, M.I.A. and James Blake.

More than 20,000 group from respective California counties and perchance from different states and countries attended nan festival, wellness officials said. To date, CDPH has identified 5 patients pinch Valley fever who attended nan festival; 3 were hospitalized. Additional cases linked to nan show are possible.

“Valley fever is an infectious illness caused by nan Coccidioides fungus that grows successful nan ungraded and ungraded successful immoderate areas ​of California,” CDPH said.

“While astir group exposed to this fungus do not create Valley fever, nan fungus tin infect nan lungs and origin respiratory symptoms, including cough, trouble breathing, fever, and tiredness aliases fatigue. In uncommon cases, nan Valley fever fungus tin dispersed to different parts of nan assemblage and origin terrible disease.”

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Valley fever is caused by inhaling spores of nan Coccidioides fungus, which are released into nan aerial erstwhile ungraded is disturbed. This infection, chiefly recovered successful Arizona and California, is not contagious, meaning it cannot beryllium transmitted from personification to person, wellness officials said.

“Past outbreaks of Valley fever person been associated pinch vulnerability to particulate and ungraded astatine outdoor events and occupation sites wherever ungraded was being disturbed successful areas of California wherever Valley fever is common,” nan connection read.

While nan arena occurred 2 months agone and mild cases of Valley fever mightiness person already resolved, different patients pinch much semipermanent aliases terrible illness whitethorn still beryllium symptomatic aliases undiagnosed, nan CDPH warned.

Health officials counsel anyone who attended nan euphony show aliases visited nan area and is experiencing respiratory infection symptoms that person not improved aliases are lasting longer than a week to sojourn a health-care supplier and inquire astir imaginable Valley fever.

Respiratory infection symptoms see cough, fever, fatigue, trouble breathing, and thorax pain. If it applies to you, beryllium judge to mention whether you attended nan euphony show aliases travelled to Kern County, wherever Valley fever is common.