California health officials are urging people who attended the Lightning in a Bottle music festival in Kern County to seek medical help if they experience respiratory symptoms or fever.
Officials have identified five people with valley fever who attended the six-day event at Lake Buena Vista near Bakersfield from May 22 to 27. Three people have been hospitalized.
More than 20,000 people took part in the festival.
Attendee: 1 person, Reddit r/LightningInaBottle According to the thread, a fellow festival goer had been hospitalized for two weeks with “severe” valley fever.
“If you experience unexplained symptoms like fever, chills, headache or neck pain, even if it’s been several months, tell your doctor that you may have valley fever,” the user wrote.
Valley fever is an infection caused by the Coccidioides bacteria that grows in the soil and soil in some areas of California, most commonly in the San Joaquin Valley and Central Coast.
Health officials say most people infected with the bacteria don’t ultimately get sick, but some can infect the lungs and experience respiratory symptoms such as coughing, difficulty breathing, fever and fatigue.
Rarely, the fungus can spread to other parts of the body and cause serious illness.
Valley fever is not contagious. Past outbreaks in parts of the state where the bacteria is common have been linked to exposure to dust and soil at outdoor events or in workplaces where soil is disturbed.
Valley fever has been on the rise in California, with many cases reported in 2023 and 2024. The bacteria appears to thrive in rainy years.
A study published in the medical journal The Lancet in 2022 They concluded that cycles of dry years followed by wet winters have led to increased infections, especially in historically wet areas. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and duration of droughts across the Southwestern United States, which may increase the spread of valley fever spores and the fungus.
Kern County has the highest incidence rate in the state, averaging about a third of cases.
State health officials say anyone who has visited Kern County in recent months and has respiratory symptoms that don’t improve or last for more than a week should see a health care provider and ask about the possibility of valley fever.
They also encourage people to mention their attendance at music festivals or trips to Kern County.
Participants were from the California Department of Public Health Valley Fever Survey Website Please use it to share more information and details about your illness.
Another Reddit user They said they fell ill two weeks after returning to their Colorado home from the festival.
The music fan reported a “terrible” cough, headache, body aches, fever and chills. The Reddit user said he wasn’t sure if he would return next year.
“I don’t want to miss it… but I don’t want to get another fungal lung infection. It’s awful.”
