{"id":279105,"date":"2026-05-05T02:55:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T02:55:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/279105\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T02:55:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T02:55:14","slug":"el-paso-valley-fever-cases-more-than-triple-in-decade-due-to-extreme-weather-dust-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/279105\/","title":{"rendered":"El Paso Valley fever cases more than triple in decade due to extreme weather, dust"},"content":{"rendered":"

EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 Valley fever cases in El Paso more than tripled over the past decade, and researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso say extreme heat, powerful winds and airborne dust appear to be key drivers behind the increase.<\/p>\n

A new study by researchers at UTEP found a significant rise in reported cases of coccidioidomycosis, commonly known as Valley fever, from 2013 to 2022. <\/p>\n

The study, published in the International Journal of Biometeorology, linked higher incidence rates to extreme weather, wind and dust conditions that can help spread fungal spores through the air.<\/p>\n

Valley fever is caused by inhaling spores of a soil-dwelling fungus that can become airborne under certain environmental conditions. While often mild, the illness can lead to serious respiratory disease and, in some cases, long-term complications and death.<\/p>\n

These results suggest that it\u2019s not just typical dusty conditions driving infections, but more intense and episodic environmental events,\u201d said Thomas Gill, Ph.D., a professor in the UTEP Department of Earth, Environmental and Resource Sciences and a co-author of the study. \u201cExtreme wind and dust events may disturb soils in ways that release larger amounts of the fungus into the air.<\/p>\n

Researchers used statistical modeling to examine how weather patterns and air quality influence disease trends. <\/p>\n

RECOMMENDED: UTEP cites Android scanner glitches and north gate crowding for BTS concert entry delays<\/a><\/p>\n

The study found higher Valley fever incidence was associated with temperatures exceeding 102 degrees Fahrenheit in the prior month, peak wind gusts above 64 miles per hour several months earlier, and unusually high concentrations of dust particles in the air, particularly those 10 micrometers in diameter or smaller.<\/p>\n

Although Valley fever is not contagious and is a reportable condition in El Paso County, researchers cautioned it is likely underdiagnosed. They said symptoms can resemble influenza, pneumonia or COVID-19, potentially delaying diagnosis and treatment.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur work shows that Valley fever risk can be anticipated based on environmental signals,\u201d said Gabriel Ibarra-Mejia, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of public health sciences and one of the lead researchers. \u201cBy recognizing the conditions that precede increases in cases, health officials and clinicians can be better prepared to detect, diagnose and respond to this disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

The study also identified seasonal patterns, with the highest number of reported cases occurring in the summer months, particularly July and August.<\/p>\n

This research underscores the environmental factors in our region that contribute to breathing in Coccidioides fungus spores,\u201d said C. Scott Kruse, Ph.D., dean of the UTEP College of Health Sciences. \u201cThis includes air quality and climate-related risks that significantly impact public health, particularly in vulnerable communities.<\/p>\n

Ibarra-Mejia said El Paso\u2019s location in the Chihuahuan Desert, frequent dust activity and increasing development may contribute to rising exposure risks. He also noted land disturbance from construction and urban expansion could play a role in releasing fungal spores into the air.<\/p>\n

The researchers called for increased awareness among the public and health care providers, especially during periods following extreme weather events.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnderstanding the connection between climate and disease is no longer optional,\u201d Gill said. \u201cIt\u2019s essential for building resilient communities in regions like ours.\u201d<\/p>\n

The study\u2019s co-lead author was Narges Khanjani, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics in the Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech Health El Paso. Researchers at New Mexico State University, the University of California, Merced and other institutions also contributed.<\/p>\n

Sign up<\/a> to receive the top interesting stories from in and around our community once daily in your inbox.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 Valley fever cases in El Paso more than tripled over the past decade,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":278642,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[138,140,139],"class_list":["post-279105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-el-paso","tag-el-paso","tag-el-paso-headlines","tag-el-paso-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=279105"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/279105\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/278642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=279105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=279105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=279105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}