One impact of climate change most people probably don't know about is the dramatic rise of dust storms. I had no idea. In fact, there's been a two hundred forty percent increase in the number of dust storms which means more people are now suffering from Valley Fever.

It's also called coccidioidomycosis. More than ten thousand people are diagnosed each year, primarily in Arizona and California and two hundred of them will die from it. It's actually caused by a fungus, Coccidioides, and grows in the top two to eight inches of soil in semi-arid regions.

But when disturbed by farming, dirt bikes or construction, the highly infectious spores can become airborne. On a windy day, the fungus can travel seventy five miles and infect people when they breathe it in. Increasing dust storms have raised the number of victims by ten percent. But the CDC estimates perhaps one hundred fifty thousand cases a year are misdiagnosed as the flu.

Many people infected with Coccidioides have no symptoms but others can have flu-like symptoms and a rash on the upper body or legs. A small percentage of infections progress beyond the lungs, into the blood stream and affect the central nervous system and can be fatal. The infection can be diagnosed with a blood or skin test.

And it's treated with antifungal drugs. People with severe symptoms are hospitalized and may need treatment for three months to a year. Fortunately Valley Fever is not spread from person to person. And those who have had it are usually immune from future infections. Right now, what we can take away is the warning that climate change is altering the impact of infectious diseases on humans and it's not good.