Valley fever (Coccidioidomycosis) satistics

In 2018, there were 15,611 cases of Valley fever reported to CDC. Most of these cases were in people who live in Arizona or California. Rates of Valley fever are typically highest among people age 60 and older.The number of Valley fever cases reported to CDC likely underestimates the true number of Valley fever cases. Tens of thousands more illnesses likely occur and may be misdiagnosed because many patients are not tested for Valley fever. In highly endemic areas such as the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas of Arizona, Valley fever causes an estimated 15% to nearly 30% of community-acquired pneumonias, but low testing rates suggest that Valley fever is probably under-recognized2020839