Can i get valley fever more than once

Most people get better without treatment. But if your body's natural defence system immune system is weak, valley fever can be deadly. In rare cases it can be deadly even for people with a normal immune system. Valley fever can spread from your lungs to other parts of your body. Those at higher risk for severe illness include pregnant women, people who have HIV infection, people who take medicines that weaken the immune system, and people who have diabetes.

Filipinos, people of African or Hispanic descent, and Indigenous peoples also have a higher risk of dying from valley fever. Valley fever occurs mainly in dry desert areas of the southwestern United States, central California, and Mexico. It also occurs in dry areas of Central and South America. Valley fever is also called desert fever, San Joaquin Valley fever, coccidioidomycosis, and desert rheumatism.

You can get valley fever if you breathe in the fungus Coccidioides immitis that causes the disease. The fungus grows in the soil. It gets into the air when the ground is broken and the dirt and dust spread into the air. People with jobs that require digging in the soil have the greatest chance of getting valley fever. This includes people who work on farms, in construction, and in archeology or paleontology.

People who ride bikes or drive all-terrain vehicles ATVs in the desert also have a higher chance of getting it. Dust storms can spread the fungus into the air, so other people can also get valley fever.

Valley fever is not contagious. You cannot get it from another person or from animals. After getting better, most people will not get valley fever again. This is called being immune. But valley fever can come back again in people who have weak immune systems and can't fight infection. This includes people who have HIV, are taking medicine that suppresses the immune system such as prednisone or methotrexate , or have had an organ transplant.

Most people don't have any symptoms, or they have only very mild symptoms. If you do have symptoms, you may feel like you have a cold or the flu. The most serious form of the disease, disseminated coccidioidomycosis, is uncommon. It occurs when the infection spreads disseminates beyond the lungs to other parts of the body. Most often these parts include the skin, bones, liver, brain, heart, and the membranes that protect the brain and spinal cord meninges.

Seek medical care if you are over 60, have a weakened immune system, are pregnant, or are of Filipino or African heritage, and you develop the signs and symptoms of valley fever, especially if you:. Be sure to tell your doctor if you've traveled to a place where valley fever is common and you have symptoms.

Valley fever is caused by a person inhaling spores of certain fungi. It's named after the San Joaquin Valley in California. The fungi can also often be found in northern Mexico and Central and South America.

Like many other fungi, coccidioides species have a complex life cycle. In the soil, they grow as a mold with long filaments that break off into airborne spores when the soil is disturbed. A person can then inhale the spores. The spores are extremely small and can be carried far by the wind.

Once inside the lungs, the spores reproduce, continuing the disease cycle. Environmental exposure. Anyone who inhales the spores that cause valley fever is at risk of infection. People who live in areas where the fungi are common—especially those who spend a lot of time outdoors — have a greater risk. Also, people who have jobs that expose them to dust are most at risk — construction, road and agricultural workers, ranchers, archaeologists, and military personnel on field exercises.

If you live in or visit areas where valley fever is common, take common-sense precautions, especially during the summer months when the chance of infection is highest. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Scientists have tried several different ways to make a Valley fever vaccine. Skip directly to site content Skip directly to page options Skip directly to A-Z link.

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