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Here is important information to share with your clients who employ outdoor workers. Valley Fever is a serious but preventable illness that is on the rise.

Known as coccidioidomycosis, Valley Fever is an illness caused by breathing in spores of a fungus (Coccidioides) that lives in the soil of California’s Central Valley and Central Coast and other parts of the Southwest. Outdoor workers—especially those involved in construction, wildland firefighting, agriculture, or excavation—are at higher risk because soil-disturbing activities can release fungal spores into the air.

Valley fever cases are rising

The California Department of Public Health reports that more 5,000 cases have been reported in California in the first six months of 225. Last year more than 12,000 cases were reported in California—the highest year on record for the state and a significant jump from the 7,000-9,000 cases reported each year for 2017 through 2023.

Outdoor workers must stay alert to the risk, use protective measures, and seek medical advice if symptoms develop after working in dusty conditions.

To learn more about symptoms to watch for, control measures, and prevention, please visit and share this link from our safety resource website, www.SafeAtWork.com.