Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2019 Feb 1;57(Supplement_1):S30-S40.
doi: 10.1093/mmy/myy095.

Update on the Epidemiology of coccidioidomycosis in the United States

Orion Z McCotter  1 , Kaitlin Benedict  1 , David M Engelthaler  2 , Ken Komatsu  3 , Kimberley D Lucas  4 , Janet C Mohle-Boetani  4 , Hanna Oltean  5 , Duc Vugia  6 , Tom M Chiller  1 , Gail L Sondermeyer Cooksey  6 , Alyssa Nguyen  6 , Chandler C Roe  2   7 , Charlotte Wheeler  4 , Rebecca Sunenshine  8   9
Affiliations
Review

Update on the Epidemiology of coccidioidomycosis in the United States

Orion Z McCotter et al. Med Mycol. .

Abstract

The incidence of reported coccidioidomycosis in the past two decades has increased greatly; monitoring its changing epidemiology is essential for understanding its burden on patients and the healthcare system and for identifying opportunities for prevention and education. We provide an update on recent coccidioidomycosis trends and public health efforts nationally and in Arizona, California, and Washington State. In Arizona, enhanced surveillance shows that coccidioidomycosis continues to be associated with substantial morbidity. California reported its highest yearly number of cases ever in 2016 and has implemented interventions to reduce coccidioidomycosis in the prison population by excluding certain inmates from residing in prisons in high-risk areas. Coccidioidomycosis is emerging in Washington State, where phylogenetic analyses confirm the existence of a unique Coccidioides clade. Additional studies of the molecular epidemiology of Coccidioides will improve understanding its expanding endemic range. Ongoing public health collaborations and future research priorities are focused on characterizing geographic risk, particularly in the context of environmental change; identifying further risk reduction strategies for high-risk groups; and improving reporting of cases to public health agencies.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and the writing of the paper.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Reported coccidioidomycosis cases in the United States, 1998–2016.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Number of coccidioidomycosis cases and incidence, by estimated year of illness onset: California, 1995–2016 (1).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Whole genome SNP phylogeny of Coccidioides genus including 59 C. posadasii and 22 C. immitis genomes. This Figure is reproduced in color in the online version of Medical Mycology.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Dispersal model of C. posadasii out of southern AZ, with (A) northward spread to central AZ 700 KYA (thousand years ago); (B) southeastern spread to Texas and Mexico 675 KYA and then to South America 520KYA; and (C) southern spread to Guatemala 190 KYA (adapted from (21)). This Figure is reproduced in color in the online version of Medical Mycology.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologist Coccidioidomycosis Case Definition. 2011. https://wwwn.cdc.gov/nndss/conditions/coccidioidomycosis/case-definition.... Accessed 9/28/17, 2017.
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Valley Fever (Coccidioidomycosis) Statistics. https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/coccidioidomycosis/statistics.html. Accessed January 13, 2018.
    1. CDC Increase in Reported Coccidioidomycosis — United States, 1998–2011. MMWR. 2013; 62: 217–221. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cooksey GS, Nguyen A, Knutson K et al. Notes from the field: increase in coccidioidomycosis—California, 2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017; 66: 833–834. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Talamantes J, Behseta S, Zender CS. Fluctuations in climate and incidence of coccidioidomycosis in Kern County, California: a review. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2007; 1111: 73–82. - PubMed