The vast majority of the American West is struggling with enduring “mega drought” conditions some experts think will last until 2030 and that is creating perfect conditions for an incurable disease to spread.
A microscopic fungal organism in the soil called coccidioides is becoming more mainstream due to a rise in human infections resulting from airborne spores thrown aloft by winds in the arid terrain.
Coccidioides is a naturally occurring fungus found in the soils of Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Washington state, and Texas. When dust storms kick up spores into the air, people can inhale them and develop an infection known as coccidioidomycosis….