Coccidioidomycosis

[Cami]

Coccidioidomycosis is infection, usually of the lungs, caused by the fungus Coccidioides immitis.

The infection is caused by inhaling spores of the fungus.
If mild, the lung infection causes flu-like symptoms and sometimes shortness of breath, but the infection may worsen and spread throughout the body, causing various symptoms.
The diagnosis can be confirmed by identifying the fungi in samples of infected materials examined under a microscope or cultured.
Antifungal drugs are usually taken for 6 to 12 months but sometimes for life.

(See also Overview of Fungal Infections.)
The spores of Coccidioides are present in soil in the southwestern United States, the central valley of California, northern Mexico, parts of Central America, and Argentina. About 30 to 60% of people who live in one of these areas are exposed to the fungus at some point during their life. In the United States, 14,364 cases of coccidioidomycosis were reported in 2017.
Farmers and others who work with or are exposed to disturbed soil are most likely to inhale the spores and become infected. People who become infected while traveling may not develop symptoms until after they go home.
Coccidioidomycosis occurs in two forms:

Mild lung infection (acute primary coccidioidomycosis): The infection disappears without treatment. This form accounts for most cases.
Severe, progressive infection (progressive coccidioidomycosis): The infection spreads from the lungs throughout the body and is often fatal.

[Renato]

A serious fungal disease of the lungs and other tissues, endemic in the warmer, arid regions of America.