By Kevin Oliver, Originally featured at KCRA 3
KCRA 3’s Kevin Oliver contacted Sharon Filip and David Filip for information and to find local residents with Valley Fever for the following 2016 news report.
Valley Fever has been associated with dust and dry conditions, but the number of people getting diagnosed has dropped dramatically from Bakersfield to Sacramento. KCRA 3’s Kevin Oliver looks into what is behind this drop.
The news segment discusses the cycles of rain and drought that lead to more severe seasons of Valley Fever infection as well as the strong possibility of misdiagnosis. Although not discussed in the segment, changes in the medical industry due to national legislation may also have played a role, and the CDC cost effectiveness estimates suggest that for every person diagnosed, there are 50 undiagnosed who are still infected with Valley Fever. This makes the thousands of known diagnoses listed on their chart seem small in comparison to the actual problem.