Valley Fever

Valley fever is a fungal infection caused by the Coccidioides fungus, which mainly affects the lungs after people inhale fungal spores present in dry, dusty soil.

It is commonly found in arid regions of the southwestern United States, Mexico, and parts of Central and South America.
Symptoms include fever, cough, chest pain, fatigue, and breathing difficulty; severe cases can damage the lungs and spread to other organs.
The infection spreads through inhalation of airborne spores, not from person to person.