3 charts that explain the rising risk of Valley fever in California

Public health experts in California are warning of a growing threat, concentrated in the San Joaquin Valley but spreading farther into the state. That threat is coccidioides, a fungus that is primarily found in the southwest and western parts of the country. The illness it can cause, called Valley fever, or coccidioidomycosis, has notably increased in California this year, compared to previous seasons. The number of cases reported to the state health department from January to June are about 60% higher than in the same time period the last two...