A mysterious lung infection, long associated with dry soil and dusty winds, spreads across the western United States. And the latest tracks do not come from air monitors or satellite data – they come from dogs.
Valley fever, also known as coccidioidomycosis, is caused by inhalation of fungal spores from * coccidioids * species that live in the soil. While human cases have increased in recent years, a groundbreaking study of researchers at UC Davis and UC Berkeley has revealed that dogs can be early indicators of where this disease wins grounds.
“Dogs are sentinels to human infections,” Jane Sykes, professor of internal medicine in small animals at UC Davis, told Sciencedaily. “They can help us understand not only the epidemiology of the disease, but they are also models to help us understand the disease in humans.”
From the backyard of dust to dangerous spores
Dogs often dig, sniff and run in dirt – exactly where * coccidioids * spores hide. When drought dries the soil and the wind kicks up in the dust, these spores become airborne. Once inhaled, they settle deep into the lungs.
Dog infections mirror them in people who often start with cough and lethargy. In both species, the disease can escalate. In rare but severe cases, it spreads to bones, skin or brain, which sometimes requires lifelong treatment with antifungal medication.
As Sykes explains on Earth.com, “some dogs get so sick that they die.”
Tracking a quiet wave
The UC Davis-led study analyzed almost 835,000 dog antibody samples collected between 2012 and 2022. What they found was staggering: Valley Fever in dogs expanded from only 2.4% of us counties to 12.4% over the decade. The disease was widespread not only in well -known hotspots such as Arizona and California, but also appeared in Oregon, Idaho, Washington and other states where human matters are not always traced or reported.
As noted in the United States today, many of these states are missing mandatory reporting of Human Dal Fever cases. Therefore, researchers say dogs can be our best early warning system.
“We also find cases in states where valley fever is not considered endemic by the CDC,” Sykes said. “We should carefully see these states because there could be the underwear.”
Dogs exposed to valley fever often show symptoms to people in the same region.
A climate -driven threat
Valley Fever thrives in extremes – dry, followed by heavy rain. These conditions promote fungal growth and dust formation, ideal for spores to spread. Climate models suggest that this pattern is becoming more common over the western United States
Simon Camponuri from UC Berkeley emphasized to Mercury News that dog testing fills crucial gaps in human health surveillance.
“We have this kind of incomplete picture … Dogs fill that hole really well,” he said. And with over 60 million dogs living in American households, their health may provide one of the most comprehensive data sets.
Dogs and humans contract valley fever in the same way – by pulling airborne spores.
Dog cases like public health tools
Dogs not only mirror our exposure – they also give public health officials a lead. In areas where human testing is rare or delayed, spikes in dog infections can signal hidden outbreaks.
Public Health researcher Peter Rabinowitz told Mercury News that veterinary-reported dog cases could help communities take proactive steps, such as using masks under dust storms or avoiding certain outdoor activities.
And it’s not just about preventing illness. According to UC Davis Health News, these findings could lead to better diagnosis and treatments. If dogs develop valley fever in similar ways, they may have answers to human treatments that are still on the horizon.
The disease can spread from dog lungs to their bones and brain.
Connecting the dots between species
The implications of the study go far beyond veterinary clinics. With human cases that are potentially under -reported by a factor of 33, according to Sykes, healing on dogs health records could fill critical blind spots.
“The study results are presenting an important advance for both public health and animal health,” said Cornell’s Renata Ivanek, who was not involved in the research, but praised the study’s methodology in Mercury News.
When Valley Fever pushes into new regions, dogs data could shape smarter, faster answers. The disease is not contagious between animals and humans – but our shared environments mean that we are facing the same risks.
Veterinary medicine can now play an unexpected role in the public health forecast. As Sykes told USA Today, “They are not just our companions – they are our partners in discovering threats we can’t see.”