New study urges earlier detection of Valley Fever as cases climb

Article excerpt

Valley fever diagnoses are arriving too late, prolonging illness and deaths, according to a new study in The Journal for Nurse Practitioners. Researchers are urging earlier detection of the fungal infection, which spreads through dust inhalation and disproportionately affects people in the Southwest. The delayed diagnoses drive unnecessary treatments and preventable fatalities, the study warns. Better early recognition could improve outcomes for patients with the disease, which has surged in recent years as climate change and drought expand the geographic range where the causative fungus thrives.