The CDC is making the third week in September “Fungal Disease Awareness Week.” Considering the how fungi are chronically disregarded as a cause of medical problems worldwide, this is an important and useful idea.
Some fungal diseases go undiagnosed and cause serious infections in people in the United States and around the world, leading to illness and death. Increased awareness about fungal diseases is one of the most important ways we can improve early recognition and reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment.
Source: Think Fungus: Fungal Disease Awareness Week | Fungal Diseases | CDC
That is a decent summary of every problem with Valley Fever, although the CDC is highlighting other fungi that create devastation worldwide as well. The Apple-inspired tagline “Think Fungus” may be a good way to elevate interest on the topic.
While it is good to highlight fungi for a week to provide more information, you will notice VFS does not have lockstep agreement with some of the conclusions and linked information. Consider this graphic, which has text similar to recent billboards:
The time to warn people about a disease is before they contract it, not after. See the section “Why is Valley Fever Survivor’s information different?” in our “What is Valley Fever?” page to see why we believe warnings would be more effective for public health.
In the spirit of Fungal Disease Awareness Week, please consider some of Valley Fever Survivor’s core pages for a complete picture of the seriousness of Valley Fever:
What Is Valley Fever?
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Valley Fever Misconceptions
Facts and Commentary
Valley Fever and Bioterrorism
Separate reporting about the CDC announcement includes even more commentary about the fight against fungi:
When people get sick, they often suspect bacteria and viruses as the cause. But now the CDC is asking physicians and patients to consider another culprit: fungi.
…Fungal infections can be devastating, and they continue to emerge more rapidly than ever. This is in part due to increased number of people with weakened immune systems, environmental changes, and drug resistance issues. Fungal infections are hard to diagnose, which makes them challenging to treat.
It is important that we all “Think Fungus” especially when there’s an infection that antibiotics fail to clear. More people should be aware that fungi are a common – and growing – source of infection
Source: Why does the CDC want us to ‘Think Fungus’?
This week is also, among other things, National Farm Animal Awareness Week. In a media-saturated world, this and other events are always vying for attention.
Hopefully the “Think Fungus” campaign will cut through the clutter strongly enough for health-focused professionals and interested parties to understand the importance of Valley Fever and other fungal diseases.