Banner Urgent Care facilities have launched a new dashboard system aimed at enhancing disease tracking capabilities across the region for coccidioidomycosis (“San Joaquin Valley fever” or “valley fever”), according to the University of Arizona website. The dashboard aggregates real-time data from all Banner locations to determine the percentage of positive cases, report patients’ symptoms, and track the timing of infections. Banner aims to pinpoint high-risk areas where the disease is more prevalent to help speed up the time to arrive at accurate diagnosis since symptoms of bacterial pneumonia and coccidioidomycosis overlap. The Valley Fever Center at Banner serves as a resource to greater Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona, areas, as well the Southwestern United States where the disease is most prevalent.
Local threat to health: Coccidioidomycosis is an infection caused by the fungus Coccidioides, known to live in the soil in the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico and Central and South America. Some patients who develop pneumonia from coccidioidomycosis, if not treated appropriately, can progress to hospitalization, ventilation, and/or surgery to remove part of the lung.
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