3,976 results match your criteria: "Coccidioidomycosis"

Background: Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever) is a dimorphic fungal infection endemic to the southwest United States, Mexico, Central and South America, which can lead to chronic debilitating illness and death.

Objectives: This qualitative study was conducted to develop a bespoke patient-reported outcome measure for patients with chronic disseminated coccidioidomycosis to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) impacts.

Patients And Methods: Online, first-person narratives of patient experiences of disseminated coccidioidomycosis were used to create a patient-centred conceptual model of symptoms and impacts of the condition.

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How I Do It: Managing Cavitary Coccidioidomycosis Expert Opinions for Improving Patient Outcomes.

Chest

December 2024

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, USA; University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.

Coccidioidomycosis (CM), caused by the dimorphic fungi Coccidioides immitis (C. immitis) and C. posadasii, is recognized as an increasing threat both nationally and worldwide.

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Coccidioidal meningitis (CM) requires lifelong aggressive management, often necessitating hospitalization. In the National Inpatient Sample (2019-2021), CM hospitalizations (N = 2305) were associated with frequent CM-related procedures (63.6% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 59.

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Coccidiomycosis is a regional disease with global importance, with both an expanding endemic area and population, as well as increasing travel. Although unusual, it should be considered in patients with a travel history to endemic areas, even when immunocompetent and outside the usual incubation period. We present a case of isolated ankle septic arthritis which required an aggressive multidisciplinary surgical approach as well as antibiotic therapy.

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Spatiotemporal analysis of lung immune dynamics in lethal infection.

mBio

November 2024

Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, USA.

Coccidioidomycosis, or Valley fever, is a lung disease caused by inhalation of fungi, prevalent in the Southwestern United States, Mexico, and parts of Central and South America. Annually, the United States reports 10,000-20,000 cases, although those numbers are expected to increase as climate change expands the fungal geographic range. While 60% of infections are asymptomatic, 40% symptomatic infections are often misdiagnosed due to similarities with bronchitis or pneumonia.

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Background: Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection that poses a serious risk when transmitted through organ transplantation. We analyzed cases reported to the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network ad hoc Disease Transmission Advisory Committee from 2013 to 2022.

Methods: Donors and/or recipients who had positive Coccidioides immitis/posadasii serology, pathology, and/or culture were included in this study.

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Coccidioidomycosis can cause severe meningitis, requiring lifelong treatment. In this study, we sought to better understand the potential effect of pharmacogenomic testing on treatment outcomes of patients with coccidioidal meningitis. Of 13 patients with coccidioidal meningitis who underwent pharmacogenomic testing, 11 had genetic variants of CYP2C19 and CYP3A5 that affect antifungal efficacy.

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Article Synopsis
  • Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection mainly transmitted through inhaling spores, but studying its airborne aspects has been difficult due to low recovery rates from air samples.
  • Researchers used uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) with air samplers to capture and analyze spores in eastern San Luis Obispo County, California, where the fungus is present in soil.
  • During September 2023, they conducted 41 flights and found fungal DNA in 2 out of 41 air samples, marking the highest airborne detection known, which could advance knowledge of fungal dispersal in challenging environments like dust storms and wildfires.
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Musculoskeletal manifestations of lower-extremity coccidioidomycosis: a case series.

J Bone Jt Infect

July 2024

Valley Fever Center for Excellence, College of Medicine - Tucson, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States of America.

: Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection endemic to the southwestern United States. Musculoskeletal manifestations are uncommon and seen in disseminated disease. While the involvement of the axial skeleton has been well described, the literature is limited on diseases involving the lower extremity.

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Disseminated histoplasmosis from western Mexico-rethinking our geographic distribution of endemic fungal species: a case report and review of literature.

J Med Case Rep

November 2024

Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Memorial Care Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine Department of Pediatrics, Irvine, CA, USA.

Background: Histoplasma is a fungal pathogen found in many parts of the world. In North America, its distribution is traditionally thought to be endemic to the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. Development of histoplasmosis after Histoplasma exposure is related to degree of inoculum exposure and susceptibility, for example, immunocompromised status.

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Coccidioidomycosis is a fungal infection commonly found in the tropical regions of southwestern United States, such as Arizona, the Central Valley of California, parts of New Mexico, and western Texas. The endemic regions also extend into northern Mexico and include focal endemic areas in sections of Central America and Argentina. Coccidioides species have also been reported in central and southern Utah, Nevada, and the central part of Washington State.

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Coccidioidomycosis, a fungal disease caused by soil-borne spp., exhibits pronounced seasonal transmission, with incidence in California typically peaking in the fall. However, the influence of climate on the timing and duration of transmission seasons remains poorly understood.

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Recently, the California Department of Public Health issued an advisory related to the substantial rise in Coccidioidomycosis in California, which has been attributed in part to climate change and rapid housing development. Most cases are self-limiting, but some may spread to the meninges, resulting in coccidioidal meningitis (CM). Many providers mistakenly presume that CM is limited to patients who are immunocompromised.

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A rare case of peritoneal coccidioidomycosis.

JAAPA

November 2024

At Brooke Army Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Tex., Kaegan G. Williams is an advanced emergency medicine ultrasound PA fellow and Rachel S. Robeck is research director of the US Army-Baylor University Emergency Medicine PA Fellowship. Dr. Robeck also practices at the Naval Medical Research Unit in San Antonio, Tex. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Defense Health Agency, Brooke Army Medical Center, or the Department of Defense, nor any agencies under the US government. The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.

Coccidioidomycosis, also known as valley fever, is a fungal infection that can develop after inhalation of arthroconidia from soil. Coccidioidomycosis infections are most common in the southwestern United States and typically involve the lungs. Risk factors for extrapulmonary spread, which can be life-threatening, include older age, diabetes, HIV and AIDS, late-term pregnancy, immunosuppressant drug use and African or Filipino ancestry.

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Coccidioidomycosis is a disease caused by soil fungi of the genus , divided genetically into (California isolates) and (isolates outside California). Coccidioidomycosis is transmitted through the inhalation of fungal spores, arthroconidia, which can cause disease in susceptible mammalian hosts, including humans. Coccidioidomycosis is endemic to the western part of the United States of America, including the central valley of California, Arizona, New Mexico, and parts of western Texas.

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Article Synopsis
  • - A patient from Switzerland may have contracted acute pulmonary coccidioidomycosis while in Peru, a place where this disease is not typically found.
  • - The diagnosis hasn't been confirmed through direct testing, but symptoms and serologic test results strongly indicate the presence of the disease.
  • - This case highlights the potential for coccidioidomycosis to occur in non-endemic areas, suggesting a need for awareness among travelers and healthcare providers.
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Valley fever under a changing climate in the United States.

Environ Int

November 2024

Department of Environmental Science, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA. Electronic address:

Article Synopsis
  • This review explores the link between climate change and the rise in Valley Fever (VF), a serious fungal infection caused by Coccidioides fungi, which has become more prevalent due to increased natural disaster events like dust storms and droughts.
  • Over a span of two decades, cases of VF in California have surged fivefold, with annual deaths averaging around 200 in the U.S., indicating that climate change could lead to even higher incidence rates and fatalities.
  • The study emphasizes the need for more research on how shifting weather patterns affect VF's spread and discusses potential areas impacted, especially in endemic regions like California, Arizona, and surrounding southern states.
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We present a case of infection which was contracted during study abroad. This coccidioidomycosis showed atypical manifestations and was diagnosed by a combination of tissue biopsy, metagenomic next-generation sequencing, internal transcribed spacer sequencing and culture. Initial treatment with fluconazole was not effective.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A study conducted in Carrizo Plain National Monument found that soil microbial communities, particularly in rodent burrows, showed a higher diversity and a significant association with the presence of the pathogen compared to surface soils.
  • * Results indicated that soil from rodent burrows had greater microbial diversity, suggesting that these environments may enhance the presence of the pathogen, challenging previous assumptions about microbial diversity and its relation to Coccidioidomycosis.
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