Imagine coming to a university from which you could take home not only a degree but also a potentially life-threatening disease, which you breathed in when you participated in intramural sports on campus. Or walked to class in a dust storm.
It’s a disease prominent in Bakersfield, but for years it has been overlooked by a large number of local residents, never mind international students and those from other states. CSUB, though, is one of the main partners trying to find a successful vaccine against coccidioido-mycosis, commonly known as valley fever.
Valley fever is a fungal disease, which thrives in the spores blowing around warm, dry areas which were once seabeds, making our desert town a perfect home. The disease can only be contracted through direct inhalation, but thanks to our frequent hot spells and dust storms, it’s almost impossible to avoid.
Fortunately, the majority of valley fever cases simply have mild cold or flu-like symptoms. In fact, many long-time residents of Kern County have already been subject to the disease without even knowing it. According to Daryl Martin, CSUB’s pharmacist, “The first signs of the disease can be treated with plenty of rest and a possible anti-inflammatory prescription.”
On the other hand, however, there is that small percentage left who fall victim to much more severe cases, needing to take prescription drugs that skyrocket upwards of $750 per month, who require hospitalization, or even die. A major problem lies in the fact that 97 percent of these cases deal with international or out-of-area travelers who are not informed about the disease that is concentrated so heavily in the spores of Bakersfield’s soil.
“Cases seen in the CSUB Health Center have actually been quite low,” said Sandy Swiecki, a lab technician at the Health Center. “Only three or four people are diagnosed every year.”
However, these numbers are not entirely representative of the total number of cases here on campus. Dr. Oscar Rico, director of the Health Center, believes there are more serious cases.
“Even though I only recall diagnosing mild cases, severe cases involving muscle and joint pain, fever, fatigue, and dry cough occur here on campus, resulting in the patient going straight to a hospital, rather than reporting here.”
Health educator Erika Butt, who has been present at orientations for international students, said, “Valley fever is specifically mentioned to the students in a presentation on local diseases.”
Statistics posted at the Student Health Center show all newcomers have a 10 percent chance of having a positive test for valley fever for each year they have lived here.
Local residents of Bakersfield should be wary of the disease and be aware of the symptoms, even if they are as simple as a cold. Out-of-area travelers and residents should be extra careful in spotting the symptoms of valley fever and should not waste time in receiving a skin test. If you want information on valley fever, or feel that you may be experiencing some of the symptoms, you can report to the Student Health Center.
Runner@csubak.edu