San Joaquin Valley fever; Valley fever

The acute disease almost always goes away without treatment. Bedrest and treatment of flu-like symptoms until fever disappears may be recommended.

Disseminated or severe disease should be treated with amphotericin B, ketoconazole, fluconazole, or itraconazole.

How well the person does depends on the form of the disease they have and their overall health. The outcome in acute disease is likely to be good. With treatment, the outcome is usually good for chronic or severe disease (although relapses may occur). People with disseminated disease have a high death rate.

Disseminated coccidioidomycosis is a serious complication that is more likely if you have a weakened immune system due to:

• Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy
• Cancer
• Chemotherapy
• Diabetes
• Glucocorticoid medications (prednisone)
• Heart-lung (cardiopulmonary) conditions
• HIV
• Organ transplants (and associated medicates)
• Pregnancy (especially the first trimester)

Other complications of coccidioidomycosis include:

• Pleural effusion
• Return of the infection (relapse)

Medications used to treat this infection may also cause side effects, including fever, chills, and nausea.

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you have symptoms of coccidioidomycosis or if your condition does not improve with treatment.

Images

Coccidioidomycosis - chest x-ray

Pulmonary nodule - front view chest X-ray

Review Date: 09/15/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)