CA AR132

Proclaims August 2022 as Valley Fever Awareness Month in California.

Identifies Valley Fever (coccidioidomycosis) as a progressive respiratory disease caused by inhaling airborne fungi from soil, with symptoms resembling cold, influenza, or pneumonia.

Notes that untreated Valley Fever can spread to the bloodstream causing severe complications including meningitis, permanent lung and bone damage, and death, requiring toxic antifungal treatments.

Documents that Valley Fever cases in California rose from 939 in 1999 to 7,546 in 2018, with infection rates disproportionately affecting young people, the elderly, those with compromised immune systems, and African American and Filipino populations.

Highlights that Valley Fever kills 100-200 more Americans annually than tuberculosis, with no cure currently available, though researchers are developing a vaccine.