Valley fever in NW Valley worst in nation

[Guest guest]

This is the first time I've read where and Infectious Disease doctor

has said " it's an epidemic. "

Valley fever in NW Valley worst in nation

Arizona Republic - Phoenix,AZ*

Cecilia Chan

Mar. 6, 2008 07:18 AM

http://www.azcentral.com/community/westvalley/articles/0306gl-

peomine0306-ON.html

Pat White knows the ravages of valley fever firsthand.

" The first year I got it, I slept 23 hours a day, " said the Sun City

West resident. " I will never get better and I will die from valley

fever. "

White, 62, spoke up at a meeting of the Maricopa County Mining

District Recommendation Committee, which was hearing an expert

presentation on valley fever, a fungus that attacks the lungs. The

committee consists of five members from the public and five mining-

industry members.

" There is a problem here in the Agua Fria riverbed with the mining

action going on that may contribute to incidents of valley fever and

deaths in Sun City, Sun City West and the city of Surprise, " said

Joe McCord, a Peoria resident and committee member. " I cannot prove

there is a connection, but there is anecdotal evidence. "

The fungus that causes valley fever grows in desert soil and is

kicked up whenever the earth is disturbed.

McCord has asked the committee to recommend to the Maricopa County

Board of Supervisors that a study be done to determine if there is a

correlation between mining and valley fever.

" I'm not pointing a finger, " McCord said Tuesday. " I'm saying lets

find out and move on. "

Industry representative Mendola, who invited the

epidemiologist to the meeting, said the committee should get more

information before proceeding.

Experts estimate 60 percent, or 30,000, of the 50,000 people

infected with valley fever each year reside in Arizona, according to

the epidemiologist with the Arizona Department of Health.

" It is an epidemic, " said Clarice Tsang with the state's Office of

Infectious Disease Services.

The advisory committee wanted to know more about the fungus, which

thrives in desert temperatures. People become infected when they

inhale airborne spores.

" Some members of the committee feel there is a correlation with

mining and construction, said Wehbe, committee chairman and

county resident. " The highest numbers (of valley fever cases) are in

the northwest corridor - Sun City, Sun City West and Surprise. It's

the highest in the entire country. "

The highest rates of infection in Arizona occur in Maricopa, Pima

and Pinal counties, and " we don't know why, " said Tsang.

While 60 percent of people who are infected will never know it, the

remaining 40 percent will develop flu-like symptoms, she said.

There is no vaccine or cure for valley fever.

An additional 2 to 4 percent will see the fungal disease spread from

the lung to other parts of the body, such as the skin, and joints,

she said. When valley fever develops into the disseminated form, it

can be fatal.

For the past 28 months, Sun City resident White has been battling

valley fever as it spreads through her bloodstream.

" Everything in my body hurts except for my toes - every muscle,

every joint, " said White, who worked at Surprise City Hall until the

illness forced her to take disability. " I use a lot of meds. I can't

sleep at night and usually have the television on until I doze off. "

Because her joints ache, she spends 12 to 16 hours a day in bed,

getting up for doctor appointments or to give free talks on the

issue. She has recently started a support group.

" I will never see my life normal again, " she said.

Tsang said contributing factors to the rising number of valley fever

cases in Arizona could include heightened awareness among doctors,

an increase in construction activity and an influx of snowbirds.

Tsang said the department is taking a number of steps to combat the

disease, such as disseminating educational material and carrying out

enhanced surveillance measures, where every 10th infected person is

profiled.

People working in certain occupations, such as construction,

agriculture and other occupations, that disturb soil in endemic

areas may be at increased risk of exposure, according to the

department's Web site.

For more information on valley fever, go to

www.valleyfeverarizona.org.

[Guest guest]

How does Acoem respond to this?? since they say you can't get sick from

breathing in??

tigerpaw2c <tigerpaw2c@...> wrote: This is

the first time I've read where and Infectious Disease doctor

has said " it's an epidemic. "

Valley fever in NW Valley worst in nation

Arizona Republic - Phoenix,AZ*

Cecilia Chan

Mar. 6, 2008 07:18 AM

http://www.azcentral.com/community/westvalley/articles/0306gl-

peomine0306-ON.html

Pat White knows the ravages of valley fever firsthand.

" The first year I got it, I slept 23 hours a day, " said the Sun City

West resident. " I will never get better and I will die from valley

fever. "

White, 62, spoke up at a meeting of the Maricopa County Mining

District Recommendation Committee, which was hearing an expert

presentation on valley fever, a fungus that attacks the lungs. The

committee consists of five members from the public and five mining-

industry members.

" There is a problem here in the Agua Fria riverbed with the mining

action going on that may contribute to incidents of valley fever and

deaths in Sun City, Sun City West and the city of Surprise, " said

Joe McCord, a Peoria resident and committee member. " I cannot prove

there is a connection, but there is anecdotal evidence. "

The fungus that causes valley fever grows in desert soil and is

kicked up whenever the earth is disturbed.

McCord has asked the committee to recommend to the Maricopa County

Board of Supervisors that a study be done to determine if there is a

correlation between mining and valley fever.

" I'm not pointing a finger, " McCord said Tuesday. " I'm saying lets

find out and move on. "

Industry representative Mendola, who invited the

epidemiologist to the meeting, said the committee should get more

information before proceeding.

Experts estimate 60 percent, or 30,000, of the 50,000 people

infected with valley fever each year reside in Arizona, according to

the epidemiologist with the Arizona Department of Health.

" It is an epidemic, " said Clarice Tsang with the state's Office of

Infectious Disease Services.

The advisory committee wanted to know more about the fungus, which

thrives in desert temperatures. People become infected when they

inhale airborne spores.

" Some members of the committee feel there is a correlation with

mining and construction, said Wehbe, committee chairman and

county resident. " The highest numbers (of valley fever cases) are in

the northwest corridor - Sun City, Sun City West and Surprise. It's

the highest in the entire country. "

The highest rates of infection in Arizona occur in Maricopa, Pima

and Pinal counties, and " we don't know why, " said Tsang.

While 60 percent of people who are infected will never know it, the

remaining 40 percent will develop flu-like symptoms, she said.

There is no vaccine or cure for valley fever.

An additional 2 to 4 percent will see the fungal disease spread from

the lung to other parts of the body, such as the skin, and joints,

she said. When valley fever develops into the disseminated form, it

can be fatal.

For the past 28 months, Sun City resident White has been battling

valley fever as it spreads through her bloodstream.

" Everything in my body hurts except for my toes - every muscle,

every joint, " said White, who worked at Surprise City Hall until the

illness forced her to take disability. " I use a lot of meds. I can't

sleep at night and usually have the television on until I doze off. "

Because her joints ache, she spends 12 to 16 hours a day in bed,

getting up for doctor appointments or to give free talks on the

issue. She has recently started a support group.

" I will never see my life normal again, " she said.

Tsang said contributing factors to the rising number of valley fever

cases in Arizona could include heightened awareness among doctors,

an increase in construction activity and an influx of snowbirds.

Tsang said the department is taking a number of steps to combat the

disease, such as disseminating educational material and carrying out

enhanced surveillance measures, where every 10th infected person is

profiled.

People working in certain occupations, such as construction,

agriculture and other occupations, that disturb soil in endemic

areas may be at increased risk of exposure, according to the

department's Web site.

For more information on valley fever, go to

www.valleyfeverarizona.org.

---------------------------------

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