NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - From 2000 to 2006, the rate of reported cases of coccidioidomycosis has increased steadily in California, according to a report released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2007, a slight drop in cases occurred, but the rate is still the highest it has been in the state since 1995.

Coccidioidomycosis, or "Valley Fever," is primarily encountered in southwestern states. It is caused by inhaling the spores of a fungus, Coccidioides immitis, released from the soil.

The disease usually affects the lungs and can have potentially severe consequences, especially in at-risk individuals such as the elderly, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems. Treatment usually includes rest and antifungal medications.

To cut their risk of coccidioidomycosis, at risk individuals are advised to limit their exposure to dusty air in endemic areas. The CDC says health care providers should consider a diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis in any patients who have recently lived or traveled in endemic areas and who present with flu-like illness, pneumonia, or evidence of widespread infection.

According to the new report, cases of coccidioidomycosis, a reportable disease in California, averaged about 2.5 per 100,000 population annually from 1995 to 2000. Between 2000 and 2006, however, the rate more than tripled, from 2.4 to 8.0 per 100,000 population.

Further analysis indicated that for each year from 2000 to 2006, both the number of coccidioidomycosis cases and the number of related hospitalizations climbed. During this period, coccidioidomycosis hospitalizations rose from 1.8 to 4.3 per 100,000 population.

In terms of reducing coccidioidomycosis cases, the report notes that "options for environmental control of coccidioidomycosis are limited, and no safe, effective vaccine for the disease exists currently. Developing such a vaccine appears to be the best option for preventing disease in those persons at risk for coccidioidomycosis."

SOURCE: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, February 12, 2009.

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