Update on the Epidemiology of coccidioidomycosis in the United States

Abstract

The incidence of reported coccidioidomycosis in the past two decades has increased greatly; monitoring its changing epidemiology is essential for understanding its burden on patients and the healthcare system and for identifying opportunities for prevention and education. We provide an update on recent coccidioidomycosis trends and public health efforts nationally and in Arizona, California, and Washington State. In Arizona, enhanced surveillance shows that coccidioidomycosis continues to be associated with substantial morbidity. California reported its highest yearly number of cases ever in 2016 and has implemented interventions to reduce coccidioidomycosis in the prison population by excluding certain inmates from residing in prisons in high-risk areas. Coccidioidomycosis is emerging in Washington State, where phylogenetic analyses confirm the existence of a unique Coccidioides clade. Additional studies of the molecular epidemiology of Coccidioides will improve understanding its expanding endemic range. Ongoing public health collaborations and future research priorities are focused on characterizing geographic risk, particularly in the context of environmental change; identifying further risk reduction strategies for high-risk groups; and improving reporting of cases to public health agencies.

Risk factors and outcomes of culture‐proven acute Coccidioides spp. infection in San Diego, California, United States

“…Coccidioidomycosis is an infection caused by dimorphic fungi of the genus Coccidioides ( C immitis and C posadasii ). C immitis is endemic to the south‐western United States (US), primarily the state of California, with the highest incidence in California's Central Valley; C immitis is also found in Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, increasingly in previously non‐endemic parts of the United States such as Washington State, 1,2 as well as parts of Baja California, Mexico 3 . C posadasii is endemic in parts of the United States including southern California, 4 Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, 3 as well as parts of Mexico, Central and South America 1,5 …”

Host–Pathogen Interactions in Coccidioidomycosis: Prognostic Clues and Opportunities for Novel Therapies

“…In the United States, most cases (95%) occur in California and Arizona. 1 A marked increase in incident cases from these 2 states has occurred in the last decade, particularly in California, where the annual rate increased in 2017 to 18.8 per 100,000 population with 7466 reported cases, the highest annual number of cases ever recorded. In 2017, more than 14,000 cases were reported from all states to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but this figure may represent as few as 6% of the true number of new infections.…”

Strong population structure in Venezuelan populations ofCoccidioides posadasii

“…Coccidioidomycosis or “Valley Fever” is an example of one of these primary fungal diseases, and is caused by the saprobic species Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii (17). The disease range overlaps arid regions throughout the American continent, but California and Arizona encompass the vast majority of reported cases of the disease (18). Due to the availability of many clinical isolates, most sampling has occurred in these two US states, even though the geographic range extends into Latin America.…”