Valley Fever on the rise in the Salinas Valley and South County.

Monterey County officials are reporting a “concerning” increase in cases of Valley Fever in the Salinas Valley and South County this fall. Some patients have been hospitalized as a result of the illness, which is caused by inhaling specific fungi spores that live in the soil.

There are 73 reported cases so far in 2016, up from 42 cases in 2015 and 24 cases in 2014. County Epidemiologist Kristy Michie says health providers noticed an uptick in this year’s cases starting in October, near the start of Valley Fever season, which runs September through March in the Monterey region.

Everyone is susceptible to the disease, but some will never experience symptoms and about 60 percent will have mild symptoms.

The fever mimics the flu, making diagnosis difficult. Symptoms include fever, coughing, and muscle aches. But unlike the flu, which goes away after about a week, serious cases of Valley Fever most likely will not go away without the use of anti-fungal medications, says Michie. Doctors use blood or mucus tests or x-rays to confirm the diagnosis.

Michie says it’s important to note that because the disease is caused by a fungus, it cannot be spread from person to person.

There are groups that are more susceptible to becoming seriously ill, including African Americans, Filipinos and other Asians, pregnant women in their third trimester, diabetics, and anyone with a suppressed immune systems, as well as infants and the elderly.

Why Monterey County is experiencing an increase in cases is unknown, but there are theories.

“It’s a fungus, essentially, and it naturally lives in the soil. It can stay inactive in moist soil for a very long time. When the soil dries out, the wind blows the spores,” she says, explaining what causes the fever. “There isn’t one specific thing we can point to, but drought can be one thing that can come into play.”

Weather changes, new construction projects, or anything that creates the opportunity for more dust to be in the air can send spores flying.

Michie has gotten questions about whether the Soberanes Fire could have created an increase in cases, but she said they would have seen firefighters with the disease if that were the culprit.