Dust Storms, Valley Fever, and Public Awareness

Abstract

We discuss several issues raised by Comrie (2021, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GH000504 ), which uses a crowdsourced data set to study dust storms and coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever). There is inconsistency in the term “dust storm” used by science communities. The dust data from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Storm Events Database are from diverse sources, unsuitable for assessing dust‐coccidioidomycosis relationships. Population exposure to dust or Coccidioides needs to consider the frequency, magnitude, and duration of dust events. Given abundant evidence that dust storms are a viable driver to transport pathogens, it is in best public interest to advocate dust storms may put people at risk for contracting Valley fever.

When a Dust Storm Is Not a Dust Storm: Reliability of Dust Records From the Storm Events Database and Implications for Geohealth Applications

“…Following our recent work (Tong et al., 2022 ), we suspected that there were discrepancies in dust reporting in the SED, and became aware of how studies, especially those performed by researchers outside atmospheric science who may not be aware of the SED's constraints and/or the definition of “dust storm,” have used DS from SED to ascribe relationships between dust storms and sociological, health and safety effects. Therefore, we were motivated to perform an examination of dust records in these widely used databases to test their accuracy.…”

Risk of Exposure to Coccidioides spp. in the Temblor Special Recreation Management Area (SRMA), Kern County, CA

“…The highest risk, however, is experienced by those recreationists who disturb the soil during the dry season, such as off-road vehicle drivers and riders. Of all recreational activities, off-road-vehicle recreation creates the most soil disturbance, destroys the vegetation coverage, and creates significant dust plumes in areas with fine particulate soils that can be transported great distances during dust storms [ 38 , 39 ]. Once disturbed, soil remains a potential source of fugitive dust, and thus becomes a potential health hazard.…”

Advocating for Coccidioidomycosis to Be a Reportable Disease Nationwide in the United States and Encouraging Disease Surveillance across North and South America

“…The resultant endemicity map shows 12 countries as potentially endemic to coccidioidomycosis: the United States, the United Mexican States, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela. Confidence in relating outbreaks of coccidioidomycosis to environmental drivers, like dust storms, requires detailed disease surveillance [64,65]. Although the ability of humans to be infected by Coccidioides through wind-eroded dust, and under what conditions it may happen, is subject to debate [65,66], dust exposure has long been hypothesized as a primary mechanism for contracting coccidioidomycosis [67].…”

“…Confidence in relating outbreaks of coccidioidomycosis to environmental drivers, like dust storms, requires detailed disease surveillance [ 64 , 65 ]. Although the ability of humans to be infected by Coccidioides through wind-eroded dust, and under what conditions it may happen, is subject to debate [ 65 , 66 ], dust exposure has long been hypothesized as a primary mechanism for contracting coccidioidomycosis [ 67 ]. A well-known outbreak of coccidioidomycosis occurred in 1977 following a large dust storm originating in the San Joaquin Valley of California [ 68 , 69 ].…”

“…The desert regions of the southwestern US are not only endemic for coccidioidomycosis, but could also cause long-range transport of Coccidioides if the fungus remains viable. Enhanced, nationwide coccidioidomycosis surveillance will help us to better understand the mechanisms of population exposure to dust and Coccidioides and communicate the risk associated with dust exposure [ 65 ].…”