Valley Fever is Spreading

DizzyDigger

Gold Member
Dec 9, 2012
5,835
11,578
Concrete, WA
Detector(s) used
Nokta FoRs Gold, a Gold Cube, 2 Keene Sluices and Lord only knows how many pans....not to mention a load of other gear my wife still doesn't know about!
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Upvote 2

russau

Gold Member
May 29, 2005
7,279
6,735
St. Louis, missouri
Most Dr's around the Country (other than in the S.West) don't know the symptoms of Valley Fever OR how to treat it !I remember a guy online that lived in Florida at a hospital and had a claim in AZ. and got D.F. and was fighting it at his Hospital in Fl. where he worked and it kept getting worse and worse UNTILL someone told him to go back to AZ. and talk to a Dr. there about his health and it's only then that he found out about D.F. and got results and got better. A word to the wise is to listen to Dizzy Digger on this !!!!!!!
 

N-Lionberger

Bronze Member
Dec 1, 2013
1,365
1,959
Arcata, California
Detector(s) used
Fisher 1212-x
Fisher Gold Bug 2
Whites 4900/SP3
Dowsing rods
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
It’s been well known for years up here in Northern California.
 

metrotec

Sr. Member
Jan 5, 2020
414
696
East Tennessee
Detector(s) used
Whites, Radio Shack, Metrotec, peach tree fork
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
My son lived in Goodyear, AZ and told me about it.
His take on it was, " they keep building homes and shopping centers, disturbing dirt that's laid dormant for 1000's of years, and there is a bug in it." People DO get sick from it and some die.
Sounds likely to me. He now lives in Kingman, AZ and says Valley Fever is not that bad in N AZ.
 

Assembler

Silver Member
May 10, 2017
3,102
1,181
Detector(s) used
Whites, Fisher, Garrett, and Falcon.
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
What is Valley fever?

Valley fever (also called coccidioidomycosis or “cocci”) is a disease caused by a fungus that grows in the soil and dirt in some areas of California and the southwestern United States. People and animals can get sick when they breathe in dust that contains the Valley fever fungus. This fungus usually infects the lungs and can cause respiratory symptoms including cough, fever, chest pain, and tiredness.

https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Coccidioidomycosis.aspx

Valley Fever is on the Rise

In California, the number of reported Valley fever cases has greatly increased in recent years. In fact, Valley fever cases tripled from 2014 to 2018.
 

OP
OP
DizzyDigger

DizzyDigger

Gold Member
Dec 9, 2012
5,835
11,578
Concrete, WA
Detector(s) used
Nokta FoRs Gold, a Gold Cube, 2 Keene Sluices and Lord only knows how many pans....not to mention a load of other gear my wife still doesn't know about!
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
People that are dry washing (creating dust clouds) in these areas have been told over the years to stay up wind of the dust because of the bacteria that lives in the moist soils just under the surface !

Post covid, there are N95 masks available for free almost anywhere,
including Walgreens.

Wear one any time you're kicking up dust in the desert. Digging,
dry washing, etc....you don't want that stuff in your lungs.
 

metrotec

Sr. Member
Jan 5, 2020
414
696
East Tennessee
Detector(s) used
Whites, Radio Shack, Metrotec, peach tree fork
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Something else for all you diggers.
My first cousin was (Deceased now) the head grounds keeper for a small college in Georgia.
Not only over the mowing, shrubs, trees, flowers and planting/transplanting he headed up a crew.
One day he thought he had a bad tooth ache, went to the dentist. The dentist told him to go to ER and get checked out. Low and behold he had "lockjaw". The ER doctor said he probably contacted it through digging in the soil from an open cut on his hand
He ate through a straw for a week or so and overcame it , along with a series of antibiotics.
Guys/gals, all it takes is a tetanus shot.
Be safe out there!
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top