SACRAMENTO, CA -- Cases of Valley Fever are reported from most of the counties in California, with over 75% of reported cases in people who live in the San Joaquin Valley.
"The number of reported Valley Fever cases in California is rising, with more than 4,000 cases reported in 2012," says Kat DeBurgh, executive director of the Health Officers Association of California (HOAC).
"This likely represents only a small number of the total cases of Valley Fever. This is partly because many physicians do not think about Valley Fever or are unaware of how to effectively diagnose this potentially debilitating disease.
Therefore the illness often is misdiagnosed or the diagnosis is made late in the course of illness."
Valley Fever is an illness caused by a fungus called Coccidioides which lives in the soil and dirt in the southwestern United States.
The fungus usually infects the lungs when dust is inhaled, causing flu-like symptoms.
Most of the time symptoms get better on their own.
More severe forms of the illness are rare but can be very serious and sometimes fatal.
Persons who are at greater risk of severe disease include African Americans, Filipinos, and Hispanics, along with older adults, pregnant women and others with certain underlying medical conditions.
Working with a variety of stakeholders, HOAC, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to improve the practice of public health in California, is planning a Continuing Medical Education (CME) program for physicians about valley fever.
The physician health officers of Kern, Kings, Riverside, and Tuolumne Counties are working to plan the activity with a number of notable experts in the field.
"Physicians in California see patients with valley fever every day," says Ms. DeBurgh.
"However, not all physicians know how to effectively diagnose this potentially debilitating disease."
This educational activity will inform physicians on valley fever: history, epidemiology, mycology, laboratory testing, clinical features, pediatrics, recent research, treatment.
"The importance of increased awareness of Valley Fever cannot be overstated," says Representative Kevin McCarthy (CA-23), who is one of the driving forces behind this gathering.
"The more we can provide our medical professionals with critical information, the more it will help them identify and treat individuals with Valley Fever."
The activity will be held in Founders Hall at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital on January 24, 2015, from 8:00 a.m. to noon.
Physicians who attend will receive 3.75 units of Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit.
More information can be found at www.calhealthofficers.org/ValleyFever.htm.
"The number of reported Valley Fever cases in California is rising, with more than 4,000 cases reported in 2012," says Kat DeBurgh, executive director of the Health Officers Association of California (HOAC).
"This likely represents only a small number of the total cases of Valley Fever. This is partly because many physicians do not think about Valley Fever or are unaware of how to effectively diagnose this potentially debilitating disease.
Therefore the illness often is misdiagnosed or the diagnosis is made late in the course of illness."
Valley Fever is an illness caused by a fungus called Coccidioides which lives in the soil and dirt in the southwestern United States.
The fungus usually infects the lungs when dust is inhaled, causing flu-like symptoms.
Most of the time symptoms get better on their own.
More severe forms of the illness are rare but can be very serious and sometimes fatal.
Persons who are at greater risk of severe disease include African Americans, Filipinos, and Hispanics, along with older adults, pregnant women and others with certain underlying medical conditions.
Working with a variety of stakeholders, HOAC, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to improve the practice of public health in California, is planning a Continuing Medical Education (CME) program for physicians about valley fever.
The physician health officers of Kern, Kings, Riverside, and Tuolumne Counties are working to plan the activity with a number of notable experts in the field.
"Physicians in California see patients with valley fever every day," says Ms. DeBurgh.
"However, not all physicians know how to effectively diagnose this potentially debilitating disease."
This educational activity will inform physicians on valley fever: history, epidemiology, mycology, laboratory testing, clinical features, pediatrics, recent research, treatment.
"The importance of increased awareness of Valley Fever cannot be overstated," says Representative Kevin McCarthy (CA-23), who is one of the driving forces behind this gathering.
"The more we can provide our medical professionals with critical information, the more it will help them identify and treat individuals with Valley Fever."
The activity will be held in Founders Hall at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital on January 24, 2015, from 8:00 a.m. to noon.
Physicians who attend will receive 3.75 units of Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit.
More information can be found at www.calhealthofficers.org/ValleyFever.htm.