Senate Committee approves Salas Valley Fever public awareness bill

“We can save lives by making sure people are informed about Valley Fever,” said Salas. “Without a cure or vaccine, right now we need to educate the public about signs and symptoms of this disease to prevent infections and ensure early and accurate diagnosis.”

According to CDPH, the statewide number of Valley Fever cases for 2016 increased to more than 5,300, up from 3,000 cases reported in 2015. Kern County recently released their annual report showing that Valley Fever claimed six lives and infected nearly 2,000 people in 2016 – a 62 percent increase and the highest number of cases since the department began recording individual cases in 1995. In San Luis Obispo County, Valley Fever has already claimed five lives thus far in 2017.

“Awareness is currently our best weapon, and this bill addresses that need,” said Rob Purdie, president of the nonprofit Valley Fever Americas Foundation advocacy group. “We have seen the success of billboards and awareness campaigns. It saves lives.”

AB 1279 will bring much-needed attention to a disease that historically has had a lack of funding at the state and federal level. According to the Kern County Public Health Department, in 2017 they received twenty-seven thousand dollars in grant funding from the state to conduct an awareness campaign for Zika virus but zero dollars for Valley Fever awareness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), California has seen just 23 confirmed or suspected cases of Zika virus this year. In 2016, Valley Fever affected over 5,300 individuals and families across the state and is endemic to Kern County.

After being approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee, the bill now moves to the Senate Floor.