Valley Fever on the Rise Due to Climate Change-Induced Fungal Infections
Valley fever, a fungal infection caused by Coccidioides, is spreading in the American West due to climate change and its impact on soil and rodent populations. The fungus, which can cause serious illness and even death, is difficult to track and underreported. Researchers are studying the endozoan hypothesis, which suggests that rodents play a key role in the fungus's life cycle, and are working to build a real-time map of its spread. Climate change is expected to double the area of Cocci's potential habitat by 2090, with costs associated with the infection predicted to increase nearly 400% over the next 70 years.