An Indian dies of valley fever in America
Indian man Chiranjeevi Kolla, 37, died in California after a month-long battle with Valley Fever, his family said at a fundraiser. His cousin Ram Koteswara Rao said that Chiranjeevi felt like the common flu in April, but it got worse and he went to the emergency room. Doctors suspected a case of severe pneumonia but after testing it was confirmed to be Valley fever. Chiranjeevi is survived by his wife Pavni Marela and five-year-old son Vihaan.“The doctors did everything medicine could. After thirty long days of machines, monitors and prayers, his exhausted body could no longer fight,” the fundraiser said, describing Valley Fever as a fungal infection caused by Coccidioides, which was picked up by the air in California soil. “Most people who have it never know,” the cousins wrote. “In his case, it put pressure on his lungs.”“Chiranjeevi was the heart of their home and its primary provider. With his demise Pavani not only lost the love of her life, but suddenly found herself bearing the entire burden of the family – a mortgage, daily life with a 5-year-old, hospital bills and last rites after being in the ICU for a month, with the family expecting respect in both California and India,” the fundraiser said.“If you know Chiranjeevi, you already know what we have lost. He was a man who never raised his voice, never took no for granted and never made anyone feel small. He gave his best for two things: the company he worked for, and the family he came home to. He was respected by everyone who worked with him. Everyone who knew him loved him.”
what is valley fever ? Is this very common in America?
According to the CDC, valley fever is a lung infection caused by breathing in spores of Coccidioides, a soil-dwelling fungus in some areas of the southwestern U.S. and south-central Washington state. Typically, people who become ill with valley fever recover on their own, but it is often misdiagnosed, leading to delayed treatment.In the US, Coccidioides lives in soil and dust in the Southwest and parts of the Pacific Ocean. Historically, Valley Fever has spread in Arizona, California, Nevada and New Mexico, according to the CDC. It is most common in California and Arizona. Approximately 20,000 cases of valley fever occur in the United States.