From the Research
Valley fever is not contagious from person to person. This fungal infection, also called coccidioidomycosis, is caused by breathing in spores of the Coccidioides fungus found in soil in specific geographic regions, primarily the southwestern United States. Unlike viral or bacterial infections such as the flu or tuberculosis, Valley fever cannot spread through direct contact with an infected person, through coughing, sneezing, or any other form of person-to-person transmission. The only way to contract Valley fever is by inhaling the fungal spores from the environment, as stated in the study published in the American Family Physician in 2020 1.
Some key points to consider:
- Valley fever is caused by inhaling airborne spores of the fungus Coccidioides immitis or Coccidioides posadasii.
- Residing in or traveling to areas endemic for Coccidioides is required for the diagnosis; no person-to-person or zoonotic contagion occurs, as confirmed by the study 1.
- The incidence of coccidioidomycosis is increasing in endemic areas, and it has been identified as the cause of as many as 17% to 29% of all cases of community-acquired pneumonia in some regions.
- Even if someone has an active Valley fever infection with symptoms like cough, fever, and fatigue, they pose no risk of transmitting the infection to family members, healthcare workers, or others around them.
It's worth noting that some people may mistakenly believe that Valley fever is contagious, as shown in a study published in the Journal of Agromedicine in 2022, where over half of respondents believed that VF was contagious 2. However, this is not supported by scientific evidence, and the most recent and highest quality study confirms that Valley fever is not contagious from person to person 1.