[Ryder1]

If you've got a good hunch of which park or trail network you got it at, please post up. Incubation period is 7-21 days.

Biking, hiking, whatever. If it's a dog or someone you know, that's fine too.

Thanks.

 

[Shartist]

[redacted in the interest of national security]

 

[Jayem]

My dad got valley fever and has never really shaken it off, being older and more susceptible, certain demographics are at a greater risk. Getting active again helped him immensely, but it's some nasty stuff.

 

[Mad.Mtb]

VF hit the wife pretty hard. She was fatigued all the time with constant joint pain, eventually gave her pneumonia. The whole ordeal lasted about a year with chest X-rays needed every three months to make sure the antibiotics were working. Then our dog got it. Evil crap.

 

[Phillbo]

I had it in my 20's. I use to race dirt bikes and believe I picked it up while racing the Barstow to Vegas off road race.

I've inhaled a dump truck load of dirt in my life time.

 

[azarchie]

I got real sick last July and it turned in to pneumonia. I had crazy joint pains and chest pains. I had to take a month off, but the antibiotics and steroids seemed to do the trick. It was just written off as a terrible cold/flu.

I wasn't tested for valley fever until January, after I had a terrible asthma attack on a ride ( I have never had asthma in the past ). My pulmonolgist thinks that the asthma and the pneumonia are related to the positive valley fever blood test.

I now get to use an inhaler before every ride, or else it sounds like I have inhaled a whistle on long climbs.

Good times!

 

[dtownmtb]

pretty hard to determine WHERE you got it.

Had a friend come out from the east coast for a week. We hiked Paria, went to GC north rim and did a little riding in McDowell. He ended up bring home VF as his momento of the trip. No idea where he got it. We were all in the same places.

What I find unusual is that I don't hear about more people getting it. Most of the folks I know spend a LOT of time in the AZ desert. Hiking, riding, sleeping on the ground. Seems like we would all be at risk. But I just never hear about it.

 

[azarchie]

pretty hard to determine WHERE you got it.

Had a friend come out from the east coast for a week. We hiked Paria, went to GC north rim and did a little riding in McDowell. He ended up bring home VF as his momento of the trip. No idea where he got it. We were all in the same places.

What I find unusual is that I don't hear about more people getting it. Most of the folks I know spend a LOT of time in the AZ desert. Hiking, riding, sleeping on the ground. Seems like we would all be at risk. But I just never hear about it.

Some people get it and never know it. It seems to vary from person to person.

 

[Ryder1]

Seems like we would all be at risk. But I just never hear about it.

Some people get it and never know it. It seems to vary from person to person.

True, a good majority are asymptomatic or have few symptoms, the fungus goes dormant, and no further problems. I estimate 50-60% of long-term Phx/Tuscon residents have gotten it.

I think hiking/biking aren't as risky as one might think because the top couple inches of soil aren't nearly as bad as a few inches deeper where water enables the fungus to grow. Disturbing undisturbed earth (gardening, construction, and yes...trail building) clearly increases risk. A skin-test should tell if you've built up an immunity already, but it may be hard to get. Pretty sure Mayo does it.

 

[Ryder1]

Had a friend come out from the east coast for a week. We hiked Paria, went to GC north rim and did a little riding in McDowell.

Thanks. I think the GC is relatively safe but there's a hot spot in southern Utah (Paria).

 

[Bituman]

My wife tested positive but seems asymptomatic. My old dog Buddy caught it and it damn near killed him. He went down really fast, but luckily our vet figured it out. She put him on fluconazole and in a few days he was back to normal. He lived to be 16 yrs old and was on fluconazole for probably 14 years. Bud was a stray that I found abandoned, covered with ticks near the power plant at 71st Ave and Northern. I had heard that VF was a west valley thing and that’s where Bud came from.

Bob

 

[life behind bars]

Anecdotally , "they" say that if you have been here for decades you probably have had it.

 

[bugshield]

I live in the White Mountains. One of my dogs got it, likely from the 7-mile wash area in Globe. He was in such bad shape that we didn't feel like we could leave him in AZ while we traveled to IN but the trip seemed to cure his respiratory issues. Though completely anecdotal, I theorize that the higher humidity environment of IN may have helped him to overcome it.

 

[azimiut]

I have been here(born here) in AZ for over 36 years, I work outside in the dirt doing landscaping, and I am always outside doing something in the dirt even when I am not working. I had a month a while back where I was tired and sore constantly. They did all kinds of tests and did not find any signs. Basically they said I was overworking myself.

 

[vernondozier]

Had it in Jr High age days, tired for one year, no sports, fast forward 35 yrs, didn't really stop me from doing anything, but prone to pneumonia, sensitive lungs...I trace it back to running on pure dust dirt tracks in PE and sports training in Jr High...we would run the mile in a cloud of dust a couple times a week...who knows though....