Valley fever (coccidiomycosis)

January 2007     View PDF
Reprinted from University of Arizona’s Valley Fever Center for Excellence, US

Risk factors for complications

While there are no racial or gender differences in susceptibility to primary infection with coccidioidomycosis, differences in risk of disseminated infection do appear to exist. Men have a higher rate of dissemination than do women and several studies have shown that the rate of dissemination in African Americans and Filipinos is several times higher than in the rest of the U.S. population. Native Americans, Hispanics and Asians may also have a higher rate of dissemination than the general population, but these population differences are not well defined.

Others at increased risk of disseminated disease are those persons with immune system deficiencies. In areas of the southwestern U.S. where Valley Fever is endemic, it is one of the most frequent opportunistic infections among HIV-infected patients. Patients who are immunocompromised due to organ transplants, Hodgkin’s disease, diabetes, pregnancy (3rd trimester), or chronic corticosteroid therapy also have an increased risk of developing disseminated disease.

Risk factors for disseminated disease:

Immunosuppressed Patients
     organ transplant
     lymphoma
     HIV+/AIDS
     adrenal corticosteroid therapy
     diabetes
     3rd trimester pregnancy

Gender
     male

Race
     African-American
     Filipino

Diagnosis

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Treatment