Dangerous fungal fever outbreak hits California’s Lightning In A Bottle Festival 

An outbreak of a dangerous fungal infection has been linked to California’s Lighting In A Bottle festival. Five people who attended the event have been diagnosed with valley fever, with three hospitalised at the time of writing.

Running from 22nd to 27th May, Lighting In A Bottle welcomed more than 20,000 people for its 2024 edition, which also marked the festival’s 20th anniversary. 

State officials are now urging anyone who attended the six day event at Buena Vista Lake to contact healthcare providers if they experience respiratory symptoms or a high temperature. Those without symptoms are being asked to complete a survey.  

Lightning In A Bottle has issued a statement in response to the news: 

“The California health department has recently made us aware that they are expecting 7,000-9,000 cases of Valley fever across the state this year, with 5,400 already confirmed, signalling a large increase in 2024 cases due to wet weather. This week they reported that five cases may have been linked to this year’s event as part of their California Valley Fever Awareness Month campaign. 

“We prioritise the health and safety of all our patrons and are in communication with the California Department of Public Health and Kern County Public Health Department to learn more about valley fever and any preventative measures we can take to reduce valley fever risk for future festival events, and to make information available to this year’s attendees.” 

An infection caused by the coccidioides fungus that is found in the dirt and soil of some areas of California, valley fever is not contagious. Most people infected do not develop full disease, but it can target the lungs, causing a cough, breathing issues, fatigue and fever. Most patients are prescribed bed rest and therapies to manage symptoms while they last.

In very rare cases, it can spread elsewhere in the body, triggering potentially life-threatening conditions including meningitis. According to a report in the LA Times, one attendee posting on a Reddit r/LightningInaBottle thread said a member of his party had been in hospital for two weeks due to the severity of their condition. 

“If you get unexplainable symptoms such as fever, chills, and headaches/neck pain,” wrote the user, “let the doctors know, it could be valley fever, even though it’s been several months.”

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has stated that outbreaks of valley fever have been increasing over recent years. Research published by medical journal The Lancet in 2022 suggests successive years of very dry summers and wet winters could be responsible for the rise in transmission. The Southwestern United States has experienced a marked increase in severe droughts over the past decade as a result of climate change.