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SALT LAKE CITY — A team of researchers from the University of Utah is studying a fungal respiratory infection they say is spreading through soil and dust in Utah.
Researchers don’t yet know exactly which areas of the state are experiencing valley fever, but epidemiology professor Katherine Walter said the fungus could spread further as the climate changes.
An interdisciplinary research team that includes Walter is trying to determine where the fungus that causes the disease can survive and where it can spread. The researchers received $375,000 in an interdisciplinary climate and health award through the Burroughs Wellcome Foundation to help fund the mushroom hunt and raise awareness among those at risk of infection.
Valley fever is difficult to track because the fungus that causes it is not spread from person to person. It grows unnoticed in the soil, but never comes to the surface. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of the illness are similar to those seen with the flu and include fatigue, cough, fever, shortness of breath, headache, night sweats, muscle or joint pain, and rash on the upper body or legs . Prevention.
In 2019, the CDC reported just over 20,000 confirmed cases of the disease, with very few of them reported in New Mexico and Utah.
“When most people think of mushrooms, they think of mold or mushrooms, something you can see,” Katrina Derig said. Doerig is manager of vertebrate collections at the Utah Museum of Natural History and a member of Walter’s research team.
“But this is not a mushroom that has any visible fruiting body. It can only be identified using a microscope, making it difficult to identify in the field,” Doerig said.
Because valley fever is little known, it is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, which can lead to delays in necessary antifungal treatment for those infected.
Ten archaeologists working on excavations in northeastern Utah contracted valley fever in 2001, according to the university. Valley fever typically occurs in hotter, drier states, and previous predictions showed the fungus would not survive in soil in Utah except in the southwestern part of the state, hundreds of miles from where the archaeologists were located.
“Here in the American West, we have recently experienced incredibly intense temperature changes, as well as precipitation and drought. All of this affects the range of the fungus,” Walter said.
Walter and Doerig, along with University of Utah biology professor Eric Ricart and atmospheric sciences professor Kevin Perry, are collecting soil and dust samples from a number of climate zones in the state. Samples will be tested for fungal DNA, and areas will also be checked for traces of the fungus in burrowing rodents, as rodents are suspected of being instrumental in moving the fungus.
The team focused on Washington County and St. George, especially because it is the region with the highest recorded prevalence of valley fever. The university said rapid construction of the growing metropolis is creating potentially spore-laden dust in previously pristine areas of the Mojave Desert.
“Where others see future housing developments, researchers see the potential for rising disease rates,” the university said.
Washington County’s spectacular landscape and topography includes a variety of microclimates that can serve as a stand-in for the diverse climates found throughout the state. Samples taken from just a county can give scientists a relatively accurate picture of where the fungus thrives in the state.
By combining this information with projections of how the climate will change over time, the researchers hope to understand which areas are at risk now and in the future.
“An important component of this project is educating the public so they know what’s going on in their community, what signs they should look for and how they can prevent it,” Perry said.
Wearing dust masks on dry, windy days can help reduce the risk of exposure to airborne spores for those living in areas affected by the fungus. Doctors who know the signs and symptoms of valley fever can detect the disease early and prescribe the right treatment.
“Because we get sick by inhaling fungal spores found in soil, people who work outdoors in jobs such as construction, agriculture and firefighting are at extremely high risk of infection and disease,” Walter said. “Valley fever in many ways is becoming a growing public health and environmental justice issue.”
Walter added that valley fever is not the only disease that will change as the climate changes.
“This is just one example of an infection that will be, and already is, severely impacted by climate change. There are many others. And the consistent theme is always that the most vulnerable populations are at greatest risk. The urgency of this problem This problem really cannot be overstated,” Walter said. “Valley fever is just one component of the storm we are all experiencing.”
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