VALLEY FEVER LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

This literature review delves into the dimorphic fungal pathogen responsible for Valley Fever, which is a prominent fungal disease in Arizona. The disease impacts both humans and animals and has two different morphologies, one in the host and the environment. In the environment, the fungus presents as a mold, and once in the body, it presents as endospores ready to infiltrate the host. Due to its unique cell wall structure and the glycoproteins present on the cell, the cells are able to evade immune responses and persist in the body, disseminating disease and even leading to death. Valley Fever can cause respiratory failure and even neurological deficits, and has detrimental impacts on both humans and animals. In some cases, people can remain asymptomatic. Dogs are most susceptible to the disease due to their affinity for digging in soil, which is where the fungus is most prominent. There are various clinical presentations of the disease in both the canine and human body, with the similarities lying in the way the disease is detected and the serological methods used to detect the disease. Numerous advanced imaging tactics must be used in order to rule out disease dissemination.