Coccidioidomycosis is typically reported in which region of the United States?

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Multiple Choice

Coccidioidomycosis is typically reported in which region of the United States?

Coccidioidomycosis is endemic to arid desert areas of the southwestern United States. The fungus Coccidioides spp. lives in alkaline soils in hot, dry climates, and people acquire infection by inhaling airborne arthroconidia when the soil is disturbed. Because of this ecology, most autochthonous cases cluster in the Southwest, including California’s San Joaquin Valley and surrounding areas, as well as Arizona, parts of Nevada, New Mexico, and nearby regions. In contrast, the Northeast, Midwest, and Pacific Northwest have climates less conducive to the fungus, so locally acquired cases are rare and infections there are more often travel-related. Therefore, the region most typically reporting coccidioidomycosis is the Southwest.

Coccidioidomycosis is endemic to arid desert areas of the southwestern United States. The fungus Coccidioides spp. lives in alkaline soils in hot, dry climates, and people acquire infection by inhaling airborne arthroconidia when the soil is disturbed. Because of this ecology, most autochthonous cases cluster in the Southwest, including California’s San Joaquin Valley and surrounding areas, as well as Arizona, parts of Nevada, New Mexico, and nearby regions. In contrast, the Northeast, Midwest, and Pacific Northwest have climates less conducive to the fungus, so locally acquired cases are rare and infections there are more often travel-related. Therefore, the region most typically reporting coccidioidomycosis is the Southwest.

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