California Health and Safety Code

§ 122476

HSC § 122476 Effective Jan 1, 2019Div. 105 · Part 7.7

Statute text

(a)Valley fever, also called coccidioidomycosis, is a lung infection caused by a fungus that lives in the soil. Approximately 10,000 cases are reported each year, mostly from California and bordering states.

(b)Valley fever is a serious, costly illness. According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 75 percent of people with valley fever miss work or school. As many as 40 percent of people who get valley fever need to stay in the hospital.

(c)People get valley fever by breathing in microscopic fungal spores from the air in areas where the fungus lives. Anyone who lives in or travels to these areas can get valley fever, but some people are at higher risk for developing valley fever, such as older adults, people who have weakened immune systems, pregnant women, people with diabetes, people who are Black or Filipino, and people who have jobs that expose them to dust, such as agricultural or construction workers.

…

Legislative history

Added by Stats. 2018, Ch. 338, Sec. 1. (AB 1790) Effective January 1, 2019.