‘Brain-invading’ fungus that ‘floats in the air’ leaves 19 sick after music festival – as experts warn of ‘autumn surge’
A BRAIN-INVADING fungal infection that sickened nearly 20 people after a music festival is expected to rise in the coming months, experts have warned.
Valley fever, also known as coccidioidomycosis or “cocci,” is caused by breathing in dust or dirt containing a flesh-eating fungus called Coccidioides.
The number of valley fever cases linked to the five-day Lightning in a Bottle event in California, US, has nearly quadrupled over the past month.
The fungal infection can infiltrate the lungs and cause respiratory symptoms, including a cough, chest pain and fever.
In rare cases, it can invade the brain triggering paralysis and meningitis, which can be fatal.
Of the 19 people who were infected with valley fever at the festival, eight people were hospitalised, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Fresh research shows that cases of the illness have risen dramatically in recent years, with experts predicting a further surge this coming autumn.
“We’re preparing for another possible increase in valley fever cases in the coming months, and we want Californians to know the signs and symptoms to detect it early,” said Dr Tomás Aragón, the CDPH director.
“If you have a lingering cough and fatigue, please talk to a doctor about valley fever, especially if you’ve been outdoors in dusty air in the Central Valley or Central Coast regions.”
Between March 2000 and February 2021, there were 89,281 reported cases in 17 counties, according to a study published this year.
According to the research, incidents of valley fever across counties in the state were 12 times higher in 2018 than in 2000.
Since 2014, reported cases of valley fever in the US have nearly doubled, and in California, they have more than tripled.
There were more than 9,000 cases reported in the state last year, and more than 5,000 preliminary cases were reported as of July 2024, the CDPH reported.
A recent study published in the journal The Lancet Regional Health suggests that climate change may drive case rates and seasonal patterns of infection.
Coccidioides grow in the dirt but can become airborne when disturbed, which can happen during a festival.
After this, the spores can travel miles away.
FUNGAL INFECTIONS ON THE RISE
Most people exposed to the fungus don’t get sick, but for those who do, experts say it’s likely that very few are actually diagnosed with valley fever.
Of those infected, about 40 per cent of people develop a respiratory illness that can be mild while one per cent have more severe outcomes.
It’s now thought that fungal infections make up nearly 6.8 per cent of global deaths – with 3.8million losing their lives to the infections annually.
This is almost double the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 2022 estimate, which said 1.7million people die each year as a result of fungal disease.
To put this in perspective, heart disease – the world’s biggest killer – is responsible for 16 per cent of the world’s total deaths, followed by stroke at 11 per cent.
The WHO last year warned that deadly and treatment resistant fungal infections are on the rise, naming 19 fungal pathogens that “pose a threat to humanity”.
This listed candida, aspergillus, and black fungus, as some of the biggest killers.
Are fungal infections a serious threat?
A HOST of deadly fungal infections are on the rise, posing a huge threat to humanity, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned.
Since the Covid pandemic, experts have noticed an increase in deadly fungal diseases among hospitalised patients.
Many fungal pathogens, including candida which causes common infections like vaginal thrush, are becoming increasingly resistant to treatment.
Despite this, fungal infections receive very little attention and research resources.
As it stands, there are only four classes of antifungal medicines available and very few in development.
In its first ever report on the 19 fungal priority pathogens to watch, the World Health organisation (WHO) said antifungal resistance has “major implications” for human health.
“It generally leads to prolonged therapy and hospital stays, and an increased need for expensive and often highly toxic secondline antifungal medicines,” the report explained.
Professor Jon Cohen of infectious diseases at Brighton & Sussex Medical School, said that fungal infections are “less common than other types of infection but can cause extremely serious disease or death.”
The WHO estimate that 1.7 million people die each year as a result of fungal disease.
In most healthy people the immune system can fight off the infection, but it can be life-threatening in already ill people, or immunocompromised individuals.
To find out which are the most concerning, a team of 30 researchers, analysed 6,000 scientific papers and sought advice from more than 400 international fungus experts.
Experts categorised 19 fungi based on public health impact and risk of resistance to antifungal drugs.
Of the 19 fungi included, four were identified as being of “critical” priority.
These include candida auris, which enters the blood causing deadly infections.
If left untreated it can become a life-threatening disease which kills around 29 per cent to 53 per cent of people it infects.
Aspergillus fumigatus, another fungus on critical priority, is found in the soil and mainly affects the lungs and in some cases can also infect the brain.
For those who catch a drug-resistant version of the infection, the mortality rate is 47 to 88 per cent.
Cyptococcus neoformans, is another “critical” fungi which is most often found in the soil or decaying wood.
It initially affects the lungs but can spread to the brain causing death and serious disability.