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A retrospective review conducted at a safety-net hospital in Fresno, California, found that coccidioidomycosis diagnoses (“Valley fever”) were frequently missed in healthcare visits. In a poster presented at ASM Microbe 2026, in Washington, D.C., and published in IDSE Infectious Disease Special Edition, researchers reviewed records from 62 patients ultimately diagnosed with coccidioidomycosis, a fungal infection caused by Coccidioides species that are endemic to the southwestern United States. They found 60% of patients (37 of 62) who were ultimately diagnosed with Valley fever from January 2021 to December 2023 had at least 1 previous healthcare encounter—including visits to urgent care centers—during which diagnostic testing for the infection had not been recommended.
Symptom mimic: Poster authors note that coccidioidomycosis can present with symptoms similar to viral or bacterial respiratory infections, including community-acquired pneumonia, which can lead to missed diagnoses. Because the infection can progress beyond the lungs and affect organs, delayed diagnosis may increase the risk of complications and hospitalization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a testing algorithm for coccidioidomycosis on its website.