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Update on the Epidemiology of Coccidioidomycosis

  • Epidemiology of Fungal Infections (T Chiller and JW Baddley, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Coccidioidomycosis is an illness caused by the soil-dwelling, dimorphic fungi, Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii, which are found primarily in niche ecological zones of the Western Hemisphere. The bulk of infections due to Coccidioides are found within the endemic areas of Arizona, California, Mexico, and Central America. Outcomes run the gamut from asymptomatic to a self-limited or even chronic pulmonary process, up to severe disseminated, and life-threatening disease. Patients at particular risk include the elderly, pregnant women, and members of certain ethnicities. Recent changes in the epidemiology and our overall understanding of coccidioidomycosis that pose a particular challenge to healthcare professionals include the rising incidence of disease, identification of infections thought to be acquired outside the previously described zones of endemicity, and the risks posed to the immunosuppressed population due to the increasing use of immunomodulatory pharmaceutical agents.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California Davis Medical Center, 4150 V Street, Suite G500, Sacramento, CA, USA

    Ethan R. Stewart & George R. Thompson III

  2. Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Coccidioidomycosis Serology Laboratory, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Tupper Hall, Davis, CA, USA

    George R. Thompson III

  3. Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, One Shields Ave, Tupper Hall, Rm 3138, Davis, CA, 95616, USA

    George R. Thompson III

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  1. Ethan R. Stewart
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Correspondence to George R. Thompson III.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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This article is part of Topical Collection on Epidemiology of Fungal Infections

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Stewart, E.R., Thompson, G.R. Update on the Epidemiology of Coccidioidomycosis. Curr Fungal Infect Rep 10, 141–146 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12281-016-0266-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12281-016-0266-1

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