infectious diseases
Coccidioidomycosis
Introduction
Coccidioidomycosis is caused by the fungiCoccidioides immitisandC. posadasii; it usually occurs as an acute, benign, asymptomatic or self-limited respiratory infection. The spectrum of disease ranges from acute pneumonia to disseminated extrapulmonary disease (including meningitis). Symptoms, if present, are those of lower respiratory infection or low-grade nonspecific disseminated disease. Diagnosis is suspected based on clinical and epidemiologic characteristics and confirmed by chest x-ray, culture, and serologic testing. Treatment, if needed, is usually withfluconazole,itraconazole, newer triazoles, oramphotericin B. (See also Overview of Fungal Infections .) In North America, the endemic area for coccidioidomycosis includes The southwestern United States Northern Mexico The affected areas of the southwestern United States include Arizona, the central valley of California, parts of New Mexico, and Texas west of El Paso. The area extends into northern Mexico, and foci occur in parts of Central America and Argentina.Coccidioidesalso occurs in Utah, Nevada, and southcentral Washington. Coccidioidomycosis causes an estimated 15 to 30% of cases of community-acquired pneumonia in highly endemic areas of Arizona such as the metropolitan areas of Tucson and Phoenix ( Reference ). In the United States, 20,003 cases of coccidioidomycosis were reported in 2019 ( 