Valley Fever: Finding New Places for an Old Disease: Coccidioides immitis Found in Washington State Soil Associated With Recent Human Infection

Abstract

We used real-time polymerase chain reaction and culture to demonstrate persistent colonization of soils by Coccidioides immitis, an agent of valley fever, in Washington State linked to recent human infections and located outside the endemic range. Whole-genome sequencing confirmed genetic identity between isolates from soil and one of the case-patients.