Valley Fever: Finding New Places for an Old Disease: Coccidioides immitis Found in Washington State Soil Associated With Recent Human Infection

Litvintseva, Anastasia P.; Marsden-Haug, Nicola; Hurst, Steven F.; Hill, Heather; Gade, Lalitha; Driebe, Elizabeth M.; Ralston, C; Roe, Chandler C.; Barker, Bridget M.; Goldoft, Marcia; Keim, Paul; Wohrle, Ron; Thompson, George R.; Engelthaler, David M.; Brandt, Mary E.; Chiller, Tom

doi:10.1093/cid/ciu681

Cited by 163 publications

(164 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…Recently a small number of C. immitis infections were diagnosed in an arid area in eastern Washington State. Organisms were also isolated from soil samples where the infections were acquired, thousands of miles north of the nearest known endemic areas in California [26]. The soil and human isolates were identical but were genetically distinct from Central and Southern California isolates of C. immitis .…”

Section: Epidemiologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Coccidioides immitis and posadasii; A review of their biology, genomics, pathogenesis, and host immunity

Kirkland

Fierer

2018

Virulence

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Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii are two highly pathogenic dimorphic fungal species that are endemic in the arid areas of the new world, including the region from west Texas to southern and central California in the USA that cause coccidioidomycosis (also known as Valley Fever). In highly endemic regions such as southern Arizona, up to 50% of long term residents have been infected. New information about fungal population genetics, ecology, epidemiology, and host-pathogen interactions is becoming available. However, our understanding of some aspects of coccidioidomycosis is still incomplete, including the extent of genetic variability of the fungus, the genes involved in virulence, and how the changes in gene expression during the organism’s dimorphic life cycle are related to the transformation from a free-living mold to a parasitic spherule. Unfortunately, efforts to develop an effective subunit vaccine have not yet been productive, although two potential live fungus vaccines have been developed.

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Section: Epidemiologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Coccidioides immitis and posadasii; A review of their biology, genomics, pathogenesis, and host immunity

Kirkland

Fierer

2018

Virulence

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“…The investigator collected five soil samples in 2010 and fifteen soil samples in 2014 from a dirt track at a public park used for ATV riding in Washington. While all five soil samples collected in 2010 were positive by both ''CocciDx'' PCR assay and fungal culture, eleven of fifteen soil samples positive by the PCR assay yielded a single positive culture [26]. These limited data suggested that far more samples are likely to be positive for DNA without yielding Coccidioides in culture.…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Coccidioidomycosis endemic areas continue to expand in the USA and now include Missouri, Utah, and Washington [23][24][25][26]. The recent investigations in the Washington state were notable in that the genotype of environmental isolate was correlated with the clinical isolate from Washington using whole genome sequencing (WGS) [24,26].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The recent investigations in the Washington state were notable in that the genotype of environmental isolate was correlated with the clinical isolate from Washington using whole genome sequencing (WGS) [24,26]. This correlation established that the infection was acquired locally.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, additional studies might be needed to correlate the molecular detection of Coccidioides DNA with the recovery of the fungal isolates in culture from the same environmental samples. Notably, Litvintseva et al were successful in using PCR screens with the isolation in culture in their comprehensive investigations of human cases [26]. The investigator collected five soil samples in 2010 and fifteen soil samples in 2014 from a dirt track at a public park used for ATV riding in Washington.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Powers and Perils of PCR in the Search for the Natural Reservoirs of Coccidioides Species

Chaturvedi

2017

Mycopathologia

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Coccidioidomycosis Dynamics in Relation to Climate in the Southwestern United States

et al. 2018

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Valley fever is endemic to the southwestern United States. Humans contract this fungal disease by inhaling spores of Coccidioides spp. Changes in the environment can influence the abundance and dispersal of Coccidioides spp., causing fluctuations in valley fever incidence. We combined county‐level case records from state health agencies to create a regional valley fever database for the southwestern United States, including Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. We used this data set to explore how environmental factors influenced the spatial pattern and temporal dynamics of valley fever incidence during 2000–2015. We compiled climate and environmental geospatial data sets from multiple sources to compare with valley fever incidence. These variables included air temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, surface dust concentration, normalized difference vegetation index, and cropland area. We found that valley fever incidence was greater in areas with warmer air temperatures and drier soils. The mean annual cycle of incidence varied throughout the southwestern United States and peaked following periods of low precipitation and soil moisture. From year‐to‐year, however, autumn incidence was higher following cooler, wetter, and productive springs in the San Joaquin Valley of California. In southcentral Arizona, incidence increased significantly through time. By 2015, incidence in this region was more than double the rate in the San Joaquin Valley. Our analysis provides a framework for interpreting the influence of climate change on valley fever incidence dynamics. Our results may allow the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to improve their estimates of the spatial pattern and intensity of valley fever endemicity.

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Valley Fever: Finding New Places for an Old Disease: Coccidioides immitis Found in Washington State Soil Associated With Recent Human Infection

Cited by 163 publications

References 8 publications

Coccidioides immitis and posadasii; A review of their biology, genomics, pathogenesis, and host immunity

Coccidioides immitis and posadasii; A review of their biology, genomics, pathogenesis, and host immunity

The Powers and Perils of PCR in the Search for the Natural Reservoirs of Coccidioides Species

Coccidioidomycosis Dynamics in Relation to Climate in the Southwestern United States

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