Bakersfield lawmakers requested $3 million in the state budget last week to research treatments and conduct outreach for valley fever.
Healthcare Regulation and Reform
Just 48 people have signed up across California and Arizona for a new clinical trial of Fluconazole, an antifungal drug used to treat valley fever. That's far fewer than officials had expected.
Recently signed legislation capped a big year for efforts to combat a regional disease long overlooked by lawmakers.
Research suggests an alarming link between a common drug used for valley fever and birth defects. The disease also tends to be more severe in pregnant women.
‘Eureka moment’ in valley fever case paves way for new research, treatment options.
Researchers have been trying to understand valley fever for decades, but the playing field remained small until recently.
Former California Gov. Jerry Brown pledged $8 million in state money to fight valley fever in the final 2018-2019 budget, split between the University of California and the new Valley Fever Institute.
A woman who lived her life homeless in Los Angeles almost got the help she needed. Her story shows everything could be different.
Also, Johns Hopkins and NYT curtail COVID tracking efforts, and new research on long COVID's unequal toll.
Health experts point to the crippling influence of institutionalized racism as a looming roadblock to these efforts.