In Scientific American, Ashli Blow (@ashliblow) takes us to California’s Central Valley to explain how a fungus in soil is making people — largely farmworkers and construction workers — sick with a condition known as “Valley Fever.” Those who fall ill experience headaches, fatigue, fevers, and other symptoms, which can sometimes linger for years. The disease, which is spreading, has flown largely under the radar of public health officials. Blow introduces us to a small group of scientists working to understand the fungus’s life cycle, learn how it spreads, develop a vaccine to prevent the disease, and learn how to treat it. Image by Nephron via Wikimedia Commons
