Who can get Valley fever?
If you suffer from Valley Fever, you may be eligible for SS benefits. Here, learn which form of this rare condition is considered a disability by the SSA. Toll-Free: 888-904-6847
Do you have to report Valley fever cases to the government?
Is Valley Fever considered a disability? Valley Fever generally causes a temporary disability , and in its most common forms is not a cause to be unable to work. In cases where permanent …
Can Valley fever be misdiagnosed?
Nov 07, 2017 · Nearly 75 percent of the people with Valley Fever miss school or work. Injured Workers who miss work are entitled to receive total temporary disability benefits. As many as …
Can Valley fever go away on its own?
Oct 29, 2012 · Valley Fever generally causes a temporary disability, and in its most common forms is not a cause to be unable to work. In cases where permanent disability does arise …
What is valley fever classified as?
Is valley fever a chronic disease?
What are the long-term effects of valley fever?
Can valley fever cause neurological problems?
Does valley fever stay in your body forever?
Can you get valley fever twice?
Can Valley fever affect your heart?
It happens when the infection spreads from the lungs to other parts of the body through the bloodstream. It can affect many organs, and particularly the skin, liver, brain, bones, meninges, and heart.
What does Valley fever look like in the lungs?
What happens if Valley fever goes untreated?
Can valley fever reactivate?
Can valley fever cause strokes?
What is the best treatment for valley fever?
Antifungal medication is typically given to people who are at higher risk for developing severe Valley fever. The treatment is usually 3 to 6 months of fluconazole or another type of antifungal medication. There are no over-the-counter medications to treat Valley fever.
Why is Valley Fever misdiagnosed?
Valley Fever can be misdiagnosed because its symptoms are similar to other illnesses. Valley Fever is also called coccidioidomycosis. If you live or work in Bakersfield, Kern County or the Central Valley, you are at risk for Valley Fever.
How old do you have to be to get Valley Fever?
Valley Fever can affect people of any age, but it’s most common in adults ages 60 and older.
How many people with Valley fever miss school?
Nearly 75 percent of the people with Valley Fever miss school or work. Injured Workers who miss work are entitled to receive total temporary disability benefits. As many as 40 percent of the people with Valley Fever need to stay in the hospital. Workers’ Compensation pays for medical treatment.
What are the symptoms of Valley Fever?
Other people may have flu-like symptoms, including: fatigue (tiredness), Cough, Fever, Shortness of breath, Headache, Night sweats, Muscle aches or joint pain, and Rash on upper body or legs.
Where is Valley Fever found?
Per the CDC, the fungus that causes Valley Fever, Coccidioides, is found in the southwestern United States, parts of Mexico and Central America, and parts of South America. The fungus has also been found in south-central Washington State.
Is Valley Fever industrial?
Yes. Industrial causation of Valley Fever mainly deals with the nature of extent of injured worker’s exposure to the fungus in the work environment. There are a number of reported cases in which Valley Fever was found to be industrial. These include Asr Constr. v.
Can you file a claim for Valley fever?
Evaluation and treatment would be done to your employer on an industrial basis. If an Injured Worker believes that the Valley Fever may be work-related, it is strongly recommended that the worker file a claim form with his or her employer.
What is the California Code of Regulations for Valley Fever?
Applicable regulations with regard to Valley Fever protection and exposure can be found in the California Code of Regulations, Title 8, sections. Section 342 (Reporting Work-Connected Fatalities and Serious Injuries),
How many cases of Valley fever per 100,000 people?
Populations with more than 20 cases annually of Valley Fever per 100,000 people are considered highly endemic. While the fungal spores are more likely to be present in the soils ...
Is Valley fever a health risk?
Work-related cases of Valley Fever at solar installation plants in the Central Valley have drawn attention to the health risks faced by California workers whose jobs may expose them to fungal spores found in soil.
What is Valley fever survivors?
For nearly two decades Valley Fever Survivor has been the only organization to provide the research focused on how to help veterans improve their Valley Fever disability ratings.
What is service connection in Valley fever?
Sometimes you will need to establish whether your Valley Fever infection can be recognized as having a “service connection.” A service connection to the disease is the way the government accepts responsibility for your illness because it stationed you in the area where you became infected.
Is Valley fever considered acute?
Valley Fever and other “diseases listed in Sec. 3.309 (a) will be accepted as chronic, even though diagnosed as acute because of insidious inception and chronic development” with two exceptions:
What is Valley Fever?
Valley fever (also called coccidioidomycosis or “cocci”) is an infectious disease caused by the Coccidioides fungus that lives in the soil and dirt in certain areas of California and the southwestern United States. If you breathe in this fungus from dust in the air, it can infect your lungs and cause symptoms such as cough, fever, chest pain, or tiredness. Some people with Valley fever may develop severe disease, which may require hospitalization. In rare cases, the infection can spread beyond the lungs to other parts of the body (this is called disseminated Valley fever).
How long does it take for Valley Fever to show symptoms?
People who do get sick usually develop symptoms 1−3 weeks after breathing in the fungus.
Can you get Valley Fever again?
If a person has already had Valley fever, their immune system will most likely protect them from getting it again. Although it is rare, some people who have already had Valley fever could get sick again if their immune system weakens because of certain medical conditions (such as cancer) or by taking certain medications, like those for cancer, organ transplant, or autoimmune disease.
Why is it so hard to avoid Valley Fever?
In areas where Valley fever is common, it’s difficult to completely avoid exposure to the fungus because it is in the environment. There is no vaccine to prevent infection. That’s why knowing about Valley fever is one of the most important ways to avoid delays in diagnosis and treatment.
How old is too old to get Valley Fever?
Valley fever can affect people of any age, but it’s most common in adults aged 60 and older. Additionally, certain groups of people may be at higher risk for developing the severe forms of Valley fever, such as: People who have weakened immune systems, for example, people who: Have HIV/AIDS. Have had an organ transplant.
How long does it take for Valley Fever to go away?
For many people, symptoms go away within weeks or months without any treatment. But healthcare providers may prescribe antifungal medicine for some people to reduce symptoms or prevent the infection from getting worse. People who have severe lung infections or infections that have spread to other parts of the body always need antifungal treatment and may need to stay in the hospital.
What is the CDC doing?
What CDC Is Doing 1 Raising awareness. CDC, state and local health departments, and other agencies are working together to educate the public and healthcare providers about Valley fever to reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment and to improve people’s health. 2 Surveillance. In many states, healthcare providers and laboratories are required to report Valley fever cases to public health authorities. Disease reporting allows government officials to monitor trends in Valley fever cases and to examine the burden of disease, like cost. 3 Advanced molecular detection. CDC has been developing new tools that make it faster and easier to detect Coccidioides, the fungus that causes Valley fever, in the environment. CDC is also using whole genome sequencing on environmental and patient samples to investigate new areas where this fungus is living and causing illness. 4 Research on testing and treatment. CDC is studying new tests to diagnose Valley fever faster and is assisting other health agencies with studies to understand the best treatment for Valley fever.
What are the symptoms of Valley fever?
Fatigue (tiredness) Cough. Fever. Shortness of breath. Headache. Night sweats. Muscle aches or joint pain. Rash on upper body or legs. The symptoms of Valley fever can be similar to those of other common illnesses, which may cause delays in getting patients correctly diagnosed and treated.
Where is Valley Fever found?
The fungus that causes Valley fever, Coccidioides, is found in the southwestern United States, parts of Mexico and Central America, and parts of South America. The fungus has also been found in south-central Washington state. It probably lives in other areas in the western United States. People can get Valley fever by breathing in ...
Do you have to report Valley fever?
Surveillance. In many states, healthcare providers and laboratories are required to report Valley fever cases to public health authorities. Disease reporting allows government officials to monitor trends in Valley fever cases and to examine the burden of disease, like cost.
