Clinical and Economic Burden of Valley Fever in Arizona: An Incidence-Based Cost-of-Illness Analysis
Affiliation
Center for Health Outcomes and PharmacoEconomic Research, University of Arizona College of PharmacyDepartment of Pharmacy Practice and Science, University of Arizona College of Pharmacy
Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson
Valley Fever Center for Excellence, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson
Department of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix
Issue Date
2021
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Oxford University PressCitation
Grizzle, A. J., Wilson, L., Nix, D. E., & Galgiani, J. N. (2021). Clinical and Economic Burden of Valley Fever in Arizona: An Incidence-Based Cost-of-Illness Analysis. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 8(2).Journal
Open Forum Infectious DiseasesRights
Copyright © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).Collection Information
This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.Abstract
Background: Coccidioidomycosis, ie, Valley fever, is an important fungal infection in the Southwest, with half to two thirds of all cases occurring in Arizona. This endemic respiratory disease can range from primary uncomplicated pneumonia to disseminated infection such as meningitis with chronic pulmonary complications. Valley fever diagnoses have risen over recent years and cause substantial morbidity and economic burden in Arizona. Methods: We estimated the lifetime cost-of-illness associated with all cases of Valley fever diagnosed in 2019 in Arizona. Natural history of the disease was determined from literature and expert opinion and assigned costs from national data sources to determine lifetime direct and indirect costs (work loss). Results: Total lifetime costs of 736 million were estimated for the 10 359 cases of Valley fever diagnosed in Arizona in 2019. Direct costs of 671 million accounted for over 90% of expenditures, with 65 million in indirect costs. Disseminated infection produces the highest economic burden at 1.26 million direct and 137 400 indirect costs per person. The lowest Valley fever lifetime costs were for cases of primary uncomplicated pneumonia with 23 200 in direct costs and 1300 in lost wages. The average lifetime direct costs across all Valley fever manifestations are 64 800 per person diagnosed in Arizona in 2019 and 6300 for indirect costs. Conclusions: Valley fever is responsible for substantial economic burden in Arizona. Our estimates underscore the value of supporting research into developing more rapid diagnostic tests, better therapies, and ultimately a preventative vaccine to address this important public health problem in Arizona. © 2020 The Author(s).Note
Open access journalISSN
2328-8957Version
Final published versionae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1093/ofid/ofaa623
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Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Copyright © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).