Alternative Names San Joaquin Valley fever; Coccidioidomycosis Symptoms By Mayo Clinic staff Valley fever is the initial

form of coccidioidomycosis infection. This initial, acute illness can develop into more serious disease, including chronic and disseminated coccidioidomycosis. Acute coccidioidomycosis (valley fever) The initial, or acute, form of coccidioidomycosis is often mild, with few, if any, symptoms. When signs and symptoms do occur, they appear one to three weeks after exposure. They tend to resemble those of the flu, and can range from minor to severe:

Fever Cough Chest pain varying from a mild feeling of constriction to intense pressure resembling a heart attack Chills Night sweats Headache Fatigue Joint aches Red, spotty rash

The rash that sometimes accompanies valley fever is made up of painful red bumps that may later turn brown. The rash mainly appears on your lower legs, but sometimes on your chest, arms and back. Others may have a raised red rash with blisters or eruptions that look like pimples. If you don't become ill from valley fever, you may learn that you've been infected only when you later have a positive skin or blood test or when small areas of residual infection (nodules) in the lungs show up on a routine chest X-ray. Although the nodules typically don't cause problems, they can look like cancer on X-ray. If you do develop symptoms, especially severe ones, the course of the disease is highly variable. It can take months to fully recover, and fatigue and joint aches can last even longer. The severity of the disease depends on several factors, including your overall health and the number of fungus spores you inhale. Chronic coccidioidomycosis If the initial coccidioidomycosis infection doesn't completely resolve, it may progress to a chronic form of pneumonia. This complication is most common in people with weakened immune systems. You're

likely to have periods of worsening symptoms alternating with periods of recovery. Signs and symptoms include:

Low-grade fever Weight loss Cough Chest pain Blood-tinged sputum (matter discharged during coughing) Nodules in the lungs

Disseminated coccidioidomycosis The most serious form of the disease, disseminated coccidioidomycosis, 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). The signs and symptoms of disseminated disease depend on which parts of your body are affected and may include: