As it they don’t have enough to worry about what with the all the severe weather and wildfires raging across the landscape, pet owners in the western section of the country are being warned against outbreaks of Valley Fever. What exactly is Valley Fever and just who are susceptible?

Well though it’s often misdiagnosed, Valley Fever “is caused by the desert-thriving, microscopically small fungus coccidioides that exists in the dirt. When the dirt is disturbed by things like wind, construction or farming, the fungal spores can be inhaled into the lungs of animals as well as people and then can spread into the blood stream, organs, bones and joints”

As far as who risks being affected by the disease, the answer is just about everyone. Along with such animals as horses and even snakes, more than 30 people died in Arizona alone last year. One report even suggests that over 50,000 people in the western U.S. get infected each year. Symptoms include a lack of appetite, high fever, and a severe respiratory infection (severe coughing). The good news is that if caught early the infection can be treated successfully and some animals have even started building up immunity to it.